I’d never read anything by Rose Tremain, and I’m not sure why I clicked the Buy button on Amazon, but I’m glad I did. A book hasn’t captured me so quickly and so thoroughly in years.

Sacred Country is the story of Mary/Martin Ward, a young girl who at the age of six realises she’s really a boy. The book tells the story of her childhood growing up in a small Suffolk farming community, her transformation to Martin in 1960s London, and her eventual acceptance of herself and the life she has chosen.

The characterisation is exquisite, and the prose reads like poetry - easily the best book I’ve read all year and maybe last year too.

Rose Tremain has restored my faith in English writers.