Paul Harding, Tinkers (Harper Collins, 2009)

As he lies dying, surrounded by his family, an amateur clock-repairer hallucinates about his own father who was largely absent. Astonishing writing that conjures up rural Maine in the 19th century, in all its harsh beauty. The characters are vivid, the central theme compelling: none of us can quite grasp the entirety of who we are and where we came from; our insights are fleeting and shifting. A stunning debut novel that won the Pulitzer Prize.