A lovely story from a little known location

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Like most people, I hadn't heard of St Kilda, until I spent a few years living in the Outer Hebrides, where on a clear day the island could be seen on the horizon. I was fascinated by the story of it's inhabitants, the last folk on British soil to live a primitive lifestyle, the hardships they endured, their dwindling numbers, until eventually in 1930 the last residents were evacuated.
This fictional book concerns the last few years of the people who lived then, mainly a young woman called Chrissie, who fell in love with a student visiting for the summer with the son of the laird- the island's owner. She could not conceive of a life away from the island.... she had never seen a paved road, a tall building, a car, or even a bicycle. He, Fred, did not want to endure the harships of a St Kildan winter, often the people nearly starved if the winter was long and particularly harsh. So they parted. When the evacuation happened Chrissie was one of those relocated, along with her young daughter.
Fast forward to world war 2, Fred comes back from his travels to join the army, doesn't quite make the Dunkirk evacuation, and is captured. From other Scottish prisoners he learns that St Kilda is now uninhabited, and fears for Chrissie.
The later part of the book concerns his escape and his year spent travelling south through France. and later Spain in an attempted to get to Gibraltar and eventually home.
Does he make it? Are the lovers reunited? You will have to read the book to find out.