Beautifully descriptive novel bringing the Hebrides to life in all her ruddy glory. It’s also about a man and a woman who first meet on St Kilda, then are separated by a considerable amount of time and space before potentially reuniting.
The stark Atlantic islands of St Kilda rise from the page, although I’ve spent a lot of time on the Hebrides so the ravaged glory returns quick to my mind. The author, despite coming from the Midlands, takes in many interesting aspects of this remote location, the dead babies trapped in the current by the rocks for days, the hunter gatherer way of life, killing the gannets and puffins for clothing and sustenance. The limited gene pool, the weakness in immunity to visitor illnesses. The Gaelic language is mentioned, alas we are not introduced to any words, which will hopefully come in later.
There have been various clearances from these islands over the years, islanders forced to move to Glasgow or Canada. This gives the plot ample opportunity, a mainlander Tom met St Kilda local Chrissie, after a romance they are separated. 10 years later Tom is in a Nazi dungeon, Chrissie is on the mainland bringing up a 9 year old daughter who seeks to know where she comes from and who her father is.
The characters are OK. Tom and his soldier mates in the dungeons worked well, good description of classic fascist torture, gritty exhausted Scottish troops telling their story in the dark. Chrissie and her daughter were less interesting, but her tale is good. Younger Chrissie brings vibrancy, her devil may care attitude, then there’s the raw wind battered characters of St Kilda.
If the Hebridean way of life and language come to the front then this could be a most excellent read. Hopefully Chrissie and Fred will develop into fuller and more rounded characters, I’m not too fussed if they meet or not, the islands tell their own story, hill fog and gale force winds.
The stark Atlantic islands of St Kilda rise from the page, although I’ve spent a lot of time on the Hebrides so the ravaged glory returns quick to my mind. The author, despite coming from the Midlands, takes in many interesting aspects of this remote location, the dead babies trapped in the current by the rocks for days, the hunter gatherer way of life, killing the gannets and puffins for clothing and sustenance. The limited gene pool, the weakness in immunity to visitor illnesses. The Gaelic language is mentioned, alas we are not introduced to any words, which will hopefully come in later.
There have been various clearances from these islands over the years, islanders forced to move to Glasgow or Canada. This gives the plot ample opportunity, a mainlander Tom met St Kilda local Chrissie, after a romance they are separated. 10 years later Tom is in a Nazi dungeon, Chrissie is on the mainland bringing up a 9 year old daughter who seeks to know where she comes from and who her father is.
The characters are OK. Tom and his soldier mates in the dungeons worked well, good description of classic fascist torture, gritty exhausted Scottish troops telling their story in the dark. Chrissie and her daughter were less interesting, but her tale is good. Younger Chrissie brings vibrancy, her devil may care attitude, then there’s the raw wind battered characters of St Kilda.
If the Hebridean way of life and language come to the front then this could be a most excellent read. Hopefully Chrissie and Fred will develop into fuller and more rounded characters, I’m not too fussed if they meet or not, the islands tell their own story, hill fog and gale force winds.