We had a fruitful and interesting discussion about this unusual book. As with most books there were those of us who thoroughly enjoyed it and others who were less keen. The majority of the group found the vivid descriptions of the countryside, at harvest time in South West England during the heat- wave of 1989, realistic and authentic, beautifully evoking a sense of place, season and time. The two main characters, Calvert and Redbone,  were clearly 'outsiders'. Men with difficult histories, loners, oddballs, damaged members of society who nevertheless forge a reciprocal, mutually beneficial friendship over the creation and construction of crop circles during the summer months of '89.

The designing and construction of crop circles are Calvert's and Redbone's raison d'être, as well as their route to healing. By drawing attention to the land, in strict anonymity, they are both in their own ways dealing with their past traumas in body, mind and spirit. They are also drawing the reader's attention to the ancient landscapes and the deep rooted cultures that created them; the locations of the circles chosen as homage to the ancient stone edifices of our forefathers.   We glean small details about their lives in snippets, conversations in the van, musings, tiny insights and asides. But this is a story about our deep connection and dependence on nature and the need to respect and protect it, as global warming and man's impact upon the land destroys the very ecosystems upon which we all depend. This story is as much about the land, as it is about these two men. 

We felt that the ending was optimistic, as following a fire, nature's cleansing of the land, Redbone and Calvert could rise Phoenix-like, to create crop circles again, a new beginning.