'His persistent creativity for a half-century makes this Scottish writer worthy of the greatest respect throughout the English-language world' -- Paul Binding * Guardian * 'Let me alert everyone to the best-kept secret in modern British literature ... if you are interested in books that are humane and wise, not slick and cynical; then treat yourself this year to some Robin Jenkins' -- Andrew Marr 'Many people can produce a novel, but very few are authentic writers whose sentences and paragraphs give intrinsic pleasure. Jenkins is one of them' -- J.B. Pick 'Jenkins [is] a remarkable writer whose gentlest touch induces the greatest of pleasures' * The Times *