Italian Shoes, By Henning Mankell
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Frederick Welin, the disgraced doctor at the heart of Mankell's latest novel (translated by Laurie Thompson), turns out to be yet more of a curmudgeon than his most cherished creation, the Swedish detective Kurt Wallander.
Living in self-imposed exile on a small island in the archipelago, Welin has little contact with the outside world.
His life starts to thaw when a woman appears crossing the ice, bent over a Zimmer frame. Harriet, the girlfriend Welin abandoned in his youth, is now dying of cancer.
This uneven novel is, when good, exceptional. Harriet's last supper - held in the fading light of a mid-summer evening - is Bergmanesque.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments