This is an historical mystery set in Scotland over two separate time periods— late 19th and mid 20th centuries.
In the 20th century a young family,Alasdair,Caroline and their baby are living in a cottage attached to the family castle which is owned by Alasdair’s mother. The mother is becoming desperate because of the high cost of running the castle and is thinking of selling the property when human remains (bones) are discovered buried in the cottage garden.
Caroline is a modern woman and was looking forward to an academic career before the baby arrived. She is frustrated at being tied to the home and feels that her mother in law is being intrusive.However , she is given the task of researching the family papers and becomes set on solving a family mystery and discovering the identity of the person who had been buried in the garden.
The storyline from the late 19th century follows,first of all, Charlotte and Louisa , two sisters who are frequent visitors to the castle and spend their summers there .and second , Oliver who is Alasdair’s great grandfather.Oliver is a medical man who joins a whaling ship bound for Canadian waters.
The novel is very readable and especially I found the sections dealing with the whaling ship and the lifestyle of the Inuit people living in the Arctic very evocative.
A strong thread running through the storyline is the attitude towards and expectations of women in each time period. The prejudiced views of people towards indigenous people is also highlighted and also the strong belief in British superiority and the class system , during the 19th century.
All in all an entertaining and satisfying read.
In the 20th century a young family,Alasdair,Caroline and their baby are living in a cottage attached to the family castle which is owned by Alasdair’s mother. The mother is becoming desperate because of the high cost of running the castle and is thinking of selling the property when human remains (bones) are discovered buried in the cottage garden.
Caroline is a modern woman and was looking forward to an academic career before the baby arrived. She is frustrated at being tied to the home and feels that her mother in law is being intrusive.However , she is given the task of researching the family papers and becomes set on solving a family mystery and discovering the identity of the person who had been buried in the garden.
The storyline from the late 19th century follows,first of all, Charlotte and Louisa , two sisters who are frequent visitors to the castle and spend their summers there .and second , Oliver who is Alasdair’s great grandfather.Oliver is a medical man who joins a whaling ship bound for Canadian waters.
The novel is very readable and especially I found the sections dealing with the whaling ship and the lifestyle of the Inuit people living in the Arctic very evocative.
A strong thread running through the storyline is the attitude towards and expectations of women in each time period. The prejudiced views of people towards indigenous people is also highlighted and also the strong belief in British superiority and the class system , during the 19th century.
All in all an entertaining and satisfying read.