Book of the Week

The Gustav Sonata by Rose Tremain. Photo: PA Photo/Chatto and Windus

Whether she’s writing about life during the Restoration, family dramas in the South of France or the plight of Eastern European immigrants, Rose Tremain is a consummate storyteller.

At the core of her finely crafted tales are seemingly unremarkable characters whose inner lives throw a subtle light on the way human beings think and feel. In The Gustav Sonata, two boys forge a lifelong friendship in post-war Switzerland.

They’re very different. Gustav spends his harsh childhood trying to win the love of his emotionally stunted mother. Talented musician Anton is the much-loved only child of a Jewish family.

The counterpoint to their evolving relationship is the history of Switzerland’s conduct during World War Two. This sounds low-key and it is.

There are few great dramas here, just a moving study of human emotions that’s full of compassion for even its most unappealing characters, and which will make you cry without being even slightly sentimental.