Description

‘An idyll of immense charm … a masterpiece’ John Bayley, The New York Review of Books

‘Thomas was born in the village of Gine at that time of year when a ripe apple thumps to the ground during an afternoon lull.’ So a boy’s life begins in a winding river valley on the Polish-Russian border where time is measured by seasonal rhythms and ancient songs. For Thomas, the ghosts in the forest are as real as the magical water-snakes that live in the Issa; in the village he is entranced by the women with their cinched waists and the men in their long boots. But when he is shown a map, he discovers a kingdom all his own and starts to dream of leaving the valley behind.

Publisher Review

Not only an impressive but an immediately appealing novel … The Issa Valley has the sensuousness and immediacy one associates with novels apparently inspired by the writer’s own childhood recollections: David Copperfield and The Mill on the Floss come to mind * Times Literary Supplement * Nothing rings false in this poetic and realistic tale. Even the scenes that … belong to another time and place will hold your attention to the end — Elie Wiesel A lyrical account of a rural boyhood, dominated by family, nature and village life … One is constantly aware of being in the hands of a master-of a talent that is original, unhurried, almost serene … He is a remarkable writer — Larry McMurty An idyll of immense charm and poetic depth … It takes a masterpiece to reveal the sheer unreality of our modern creative modes and poses, and Milosz’s novel is such a masterpiece — John Bayley * The New York Review of Books *