Double Vision by Pat Barker won the Booker Prize in 1995, it is undoubtedly well written but I’ve read a lot of Barker’s books and this one isn’t my favourite. I admit that I have been reading quite a lot of books for older children or YA at the moment, maybe that’s why I felt uneasy when the storyline took a rather creepy and violent turn.

Stephen Sharkey had been a war correspondent but the death of his friend Ben who had been a war photographer made Ben re-assess his life and he has given up on his old career while he still has the option.

Stephen’s older brother offers him the use of a cottage while he writes a book about his and Ben’s experiences, using some of Ben’s photographs. Ben’s widow Kate lives in the same village and she’s a sculptor, but early on in the book she’s involved in a car crash which leaves her temporarily unable to do the heavy work involved in her sculpting. She has a commission to sculpt a statue of Jesus for the local church and she has to hire a young man to help her. Peter has been recommended by the vicar, despite the fact that he had had a relationship with his 19 year old daughter and had dumped her recently.

You can see Jack’s thoughts on the book here.