One of his top ten rural Irish books, as shared at the Guardian:The Story of Lucy Gault by William TrevorRead about the other entries on the list.
This story starts off with Lucy’s father, Captain Gault, firing a warning shot at a young arsonist. Gault wounds the arsonist and, fearing repercussions, he plans to move the family to England. Lucy, still a child, decides she can’t abide leaving their wonderful house by the sea, and so the night before departure she hides in the woods. Her parents are led to believe she has drowned. Lucy’s dream comes true and she gets to stay in the house and is taken care of by the servants-cum-caretaker-farmers. William Trevor guides us compellingly through a deeply lonely, loveless and guilt-ridden life in this unforgettable book.
--Marshal Zeringue