It’s not long before we learn that Hugo is also trying to deal with a humiliating past and escaping another version of himself. All the while, the friendship between the two men prevails. Marick’s antidote is Hugo. They cannot deny the palpable and necessary bond they share, especially when it appears so difficult for men to build genuine and sweet relationships as they approach early old age.

Loading

Johnston has written a charming, light-hearted story about a man trying to find himself again, and rehabilitating a hospital and its people in the process. Her characterisation is vivid and nimbly executed – I could almost taste Marick’s essence, smell him. He is rendered so explicitly and yet so poetically too. The writing is sharp, clever, and delicate.

This is also a work novel, one of my favourite genres. Not only do we see Marick exercise his interpersonal skills, we also see him give himself “permission to be a practical man”. The layered politics of hospital life is a complex tapestry that Johnston unravels with booming prowess.

The gold that is found under the microscope is a potent metaphor for not only the magic of new, late friendship, but also the importance of seeing miracles when they’re laid out in front of you. Sometimes, it’s all a matter of perspective.

Loading

Johnston deftly weaves in the central question. Here is a story about a man questioning his faith. What is God? A concept? A being above any physical components? The ethereal manifestation of faith? Combined human spirituality? All of it? None of it?

Johnston leaves it up to us to decide. She injects the right degree of playfulness and profundity to her characters, and that makes for a joyous and moving read – right what we need at the end of the year.

The Booklist is a weekly newsletter for book lovers from books editor Jason Steger. Get it delivered every Friday.