What an opening to a novel! The author clearly has a gift for setting the mood, the prose, characters, setting and subject matter all sad and painful with a funereal hush draped over them. The snow covered countryside providing a cloak of quiet to the house and to Juliette but at the same time providing Richard with the external stimuli of cold; reminding him of the world outside their house and their grief. It seems the world is set to burst upon the couple now, starting with Harrie; Juliette's sister and then The Beacons. I can’t wait to read on to see what affect they have on Juliette’s ability to cope with her grief and to find out why Richard is so obsessed with finding the roots of an ancient oak.