Fludd by Hilary Mantel

I loved Wolf Hall. It was one of my favourite books of 2010. It touched me, both in the humanity of a reviled figure such as Cromwell but also in how I saw pieces of myself in his choices and commitments.

Fludd is a completely different tale. Not historical fiction and now epic in its sweep. It is, however, a gentle parable about love found, transformation and hope rediscovered. It takes place in the most dour town in England and this comic (book) backdrop provides the symbol of the landscape of the main characters' souls.

At heard it is a shaggy God story but it is saved from sentimentality by a sharp eye for human drifting and rootlessness. It is honest and sharp tongued but never mean spirited.

At around 200 pages it is short and sweet and the ending is both thrilling and poignant. Mantel's pose is poetic, measured and never wasted. It is rare that someone with such command of language also captures stories worth telling, she is a talent to follow.