A Necessary Blessing by Sarah Head

Normally the supernatural, the paranormal and unexplained happenings are not my scene. I've just realized that with the pandemic and enforced isolation, I am picking up lots of books which are uncommon, intriguing and opening my eyes to another universe. Ruth is a strange bird. She can walk through time, see people from generations past, hear what they have to say, even understand a language which she does not know. Abandoned by a horrible controlling husband Ruth has not learnt to stand up for herself. She has to now learn to do this on her own and realize her self worth for what it is. Befriended by the villagers in this small hamlet she comes across an alternative lifestyle governed by the agricultural community she now belongs to and to the time and seasons which govern a farmers life. All this was well and good but then came the actual evil part of the supernatural in the form of a former rector of the village - Isaac Graves who has not passed over, who is not willing to go unless he takes revenge for what he thinks is past humiliation and wrongs done to him. Ruth has to maneuvre happenings both violent and strange for the benefit of the entire community at all, not just herself. A very different read which was unputdownable! Sent by BooksGoSocial for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.