This lovely and heartbreaking little novel should actually be read BEFORE The Endless Shore. Of course, even after checking my Amazon orders to confirm that I had actually purchased this book, I couldn't find it anywhere. Thankfully, I finally came across it!
Said Hassan is a refugee from Syria, a medical doctor whose family remains behind and, hopefully, still alive, in Damascus. Said is placed by the British government on the island of Mure, Scotland, which has been in dire need of a GP for years. While he desperately waits for news of his wife, Amena, and his sons, Ibrahim and Ash, he gradually learns the ways of Mure and settles into the old rectory, a dismal, damp building. He becomes friends with Lorna, whose elderly father, Angus, is seriously ill. Lorna is Flora's best friend (you'll know who she is if you've read The Cafe by the Sea) and has almost given up on finding love. She and Said have an undeniable attraction towards one another, but until he hears otherwise, he still holds out hope that he will eventually be reunited with Amena and his sons.
Colgan seems to have successfully stepped inside the head of Said Hassan, communicating the confusion and despair of a man trying to hold onto hope and battling fear on a daily basis while still entertaining the reader with the quirks and foibles of Mure and its people. I loved this and I think you will, too.
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