It's 1966 and a black tie dinner is interrupted with news of a disaster in south Wales. William immediately volunteers to be of service.

Though he has just ualified as an embalmer, he is needed to tend to the bodies retrieved from a terrible landslip in Aberfan. The tragic and distressing events cause him to look back on his life, his early years and the decisions, events and relationships which have brought him to this point.

It is a shocking opening for a novel, particularly one which has such a sunny cover. I knew nothing about the subject matter before starting to read so was rather taken aback. But it is sensitively handled, and the author mentions in the acknowledgements that has spoken with those involved in the events at the time to research her story.

It's a wonderful, beautiful novel. The characters are well drawn, the situations believable, and the subjects of love, loss and kindness are tenderly handled and thought-provoking. Ultimately this is an uplifting, life affirming read.