A beautifully crafted, thoughtful novel

 

 ⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑ It has taken me an age to finish this book owing to its gentle nature and the slow progression of the chapel works taking place during the mid 1500s in England. I didn't want to rush things at all as I so enjoyed Alice's observations of nature, the chapel construction, the small family moments alongside societal shifts accompanying the tumultuous times during the reign of Henry VIII and beyond.

A sparklingly beautiful novel though one of two opposing halves. The first half feels like quiet contemplation whilst the later is more volatile, slightly wrong-footed me with the change in tempo. I was gripped by the transformation and stayed up late into the night to see how it would end. A worthy novel that ticks all the right boxes, for me, and left me questioning one particular point. What an intriguing little mystery.