I finished God's Own Country (released as Out Backward in the U.S.) a few days ago, but I've been struggling to find a good way to convey the sense of it to you without revealing too much and spoiling the read. So forgive me if I go too far, but this book warrants some serious discussion.
God's Own Country is told through the voice of Sam Marsdyke, a late-teen son of a Yorkshire sheep farmer. From the opening, we find Sam filling his days with a few chores about the farm and seemingly endless rambling over the moors. We learn that Sam was expelled from school after accusations that he sexually assaulted a fellow student, and come to see how this incident has created a sense of isolation for Sam. While Sam views it all as a misunderstanding, he remains convinced that neighbors and folks in town are unable to see him as anything but a sexual predator. His parents, seemingly conflicted about how their son has developed, are distant to Sam.
The North York Moors are telling setting for this novel. Sam is bothy physically and emotionally isolated from those around him. This leads to much of the novel taking place inside his head. We learn about neighbors through what Sam thinks they're saying about him. Entire scenes can be often-humorous, always-paranoid tales in which he imagines interaction that generally gives him the upper hand. In practice, Sam usually fumbles when physically confronted by others, for they always seem to deviate from the previously imagined script, leaving him at a loss to respond. Reality not withstanding, we're influenced, much as he is, by Sam's perception of things and the imagined encounters. For this reason, we remain sympathetic, despite some increasingly dark behavior.
Enter Josephine Reeves, a 15-year old girl who moves into a house adjacent to the Marsdyke farm. From the start, Sam shows profound interest in Josephine. His active imagination increasingly focuses on what he'll next say to her, what others might be telling her about him, and brings him to engage in questionable surveillance of her family. Sam becomes emotionally possessive of Josephine, and even goes so far as to make a failed attempt to attack a rival. The attachment is a peculiar one, and I was never quite clear on what was motivating Sam to seek out Josephine. We're privy to his thoughts, and they certainly weren't effusive anxiety of love of infatuation, though the outward behavior suggested as much.
The book really heats up when Josephine confesses to Sam that she wants to run away from home. She wants Sam to accompany her, and while I wish I could tell you more, it wouldn't be fair to go beyond this point. Suffice it to say that Sam's ability to distinguish between his psychological reality and the general one is put to the test.
Since Raisin tells the story through Sam, he makes ample use of the Yorkshire dialect. I have no prior experience with this, but didn't find the usage intrusive. Poorly used dialect can feel unnatural, but Raisin employs it convincingly. Random words prove initially puzzling, but most terms are easily understood in context.
God's Own Country is one of the best books I've read in awhile. It's gripping, speaks to an unpleasant part of our common humanity, and exhibits masterful writing. I can't wait for more writing from Raisin!
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