A poetic reflection on grief, disconnect and the places we find hope, Diana Powell’s Things Found On The Mountain is as beautiful as it is bleak. Set in the changing landscape of rural Wales during World War I, the novel follows Beth, a young woman grieving her missing brother. After a family of artists join the small community, her relationship with the world around her begins to change.

The writing within Powell’s latest novel is simple and elegant, expressing Beth’s thoughts with evocative frankness. The parts of the book where Beth reflects on the industrial revolution’s impact on the Welsh countryside, and the way she mourns for parts of nature that can never be returned, are particularly powerful. Her disconnect between herself and a changing world – a world that she’s never had to navigate without the support of her sibling – is palpable throughout. There are places where both character and narrative meander for long periods, feelings less like a character study, and more like just waiting for something to happen. With that being said, the overall narrative is fluid and engaging, and seeing Beth’s growth throughout the novel is deeply rewarding.

Artistic and reflective, Powell’s latest novel is a powerful story of regeneration and growth.