Westering Home

Rating:
Summary: Refreshing Scotch
Review: Caledoniphiles, alert! You have a treat in store. Scotch whisky, Scottish scenery, romantic history, rugged island landscapes, plenty of the Gaelic (with helpful glossary,) Scottish music (and musicians, of course,)-- they're all here.

Or rather, they're all on Eilean Dubh, Audrey McClellan's distillation of all that is most attractive and intriguing about Scotland, ancient and modern. Not exactly Brigadoon (no danger of the Gaelic-language preschool melting away!) but definitely a magical place.

At least, so thinks Jean Abbott, a Milwaukeean using geneological research as an excuse to get away from a disintegrating marriage and a life she's outgrown. Fortunately, Eilean Dubh is populated by plenty of wonderful characters, including world-class Scottish folk musicians, gourmet chefs/hoteliers, the descendents of island crofters and fisherfolk working valiantly to revive the lifestyle with the aid of modern co-ops and a Foundation, etc.

Not the least of the characters Jean encounters is the local-lad-makes-good-in-the-wide-world-and-returns, international television and stage star Darroch Mac an Righ, who also just happens to be the hereditary Laird o' the isle. But don't call him that! His socialist ancestor renounced the title years ago, and the handsome, magnetic Darroch prefers to be just one of the folks.

Plenty of romance, plenty of atmosphere, and plenty of encounters and dilemmas keep Jean busy on the island -- but the life she left behind in Milwaukee forces her to deal with one of the biggest dilemmas of all.

Take this one to the beach, or curl up with it on a rainy afternoon, preferably with a wee dram beside you!

Rating:
Summary: Refreshing Scotch
Review: Caledoniphiles, alert! You have a treat in store. Scotch whisky, Scottish scenery, romantic history, rugged island landscapes, plenty of the Gaelic (with helpful glossary,) Scottish music (and musicians, of course,)-- they're all here.

Or rather, they're all on Eilean Dubh, Audrey McClellan's distillation of all that is most attractive and intriguing about Scotland, ancient and modern. Not exactly Brigadoon (no danger of the Gaelic-language preschool melting away!) but definitely a magical place.

At least, so thinks Jean Abbott, a Milwaukeean using geneological research as an excuse to get away from a disintegrating marriage and a life she's outgrown. Fortunately, Eilean Dubh is populated by plenty of wonderful characters, including world-class Scottish folk musicians, gourmet chefs/hoteliers, the descendents of island crofters and fisherfolk working valiantly to revive the lifestyle with the aid of modern co-ops and a Foundation, etc.

Not the least of the characters Jean encounters is the local-lad-makes-good-in-the-wide-world-and-returns, international television and stage star Darroch Mac an Righ, who also just happens to be the hereditary Laird o' the isle. But don't call him that! His socialist ancestor renounced the title years ago, and the handsome, magnetic Darroch prefers to be just one of the folks.

Plenty of romance, plenty of atmosphere, and plenty of encounters and dilemmas keep Jean busy on the island -- but the life she left behind in Milwaukee forces her to deal with one of the biggest dilemmas of all.

Take this one to the beach, or curl up with it on a rainy afternoon, preferably with a wee dram beside you!

Rating:
Summary: Charming tale
Review: I enjoyed this novel because of the quietness. This isn't the hustle bustle Steel style novel. This is the story of people and their lives. I enjoyed how Jean moved from her grief over her failed marriage to her emotional rebirth on the Island. However I enjoyed all the little details of the village life almost as much. That part reminded me of DE Stevenson, the Scots-English novelist. McClellan has done a very nice job with this book and has written a sequel, The White Rose of Scotland. I even shared the first book at a recent library presentation and several other readers enjoyed it too.

Rating:
Summary: Charming tale
Review: I enjoyed this novel because of the quietness. This isn't the hustle bustle Steel style novel. This is the story of people and their lives. I enjoyed how Jean moved from her grief over her failed marriage to her emotional rebirth on the Island. However I enjoyed all the little details of the village life almost as much. That part reminded me of DE Stevenson, the Scots-English novelist. McClellan has done a very nice job with this book and has written a sequel, The White Rose of Scotland. I even shared the first book at a recent library presentation and several other readers enjoyed it too.

Rating:
Summary: westering home--a love story with a sea view
Review: I recently read "Westering Home" by Audrey McClellan (Beaver Pond Press), and I am moved to tell the world about this terriffic new book.It's a beautifully written love story about an American woman in a troubled marriage who runs away from home to a small Scottish island, Eilean Dubh (Dark Island). Ostensibly she is doing research on a long-ago ancestor and his letters in Scots Gaelic,but her real reason is to sort out her troubled life and see if an island a world away is her real world."Westering Home" is filled with music, beautifully drawn characters, Scottish culture and landscape, interesting plot twists and romance galore. I highly recommend it to anyone who's ever dreamed of escaping to an island and reinventing their life.
___reviewd by Sherry Ladig, Scottish musician, composer,and avid reader.

Rating:
Summary: Westering Home--a love story with a sea view
Review: If you love Scottish culture, music, and landscape, and enjoy a good love story, look no further than "Westering Home" by Audrey McClellan (Beaver Pond Press). This terrific new book hits all the right notes.It's about an American woman in a troubled marriage who runs away from home to a small Scottish island, Eilean Dubh (Dark Island).Ostensibly she is doing research on a long-ago ancestor and his Scots Gaelic letters, but her real reason is to sort out her shattered life and see if an island a world away is her real home."Westering Home" is terrific, filled with music,beautifully drawn characters, interesting plot twists and romance galore.I highly recommend it to anyone who's ever dreamed of escaping to an island and reinventing his or her life.
(Reviewed by Sherry Ladig, Scottish musician, composer, and avid reader).

Rating:
Summary: A Sweeping Story
Review: There is a lot in this book: romance with an island, romance with a culture, romance in this century, and romance in past centuries. Westering Home weaves it all together, seen thru the fresh eyes of a Milwaukee housewife who did all the right things, but found her marriage dissolving around her.

Scotland was the remedy for her, and we follow how she discovers the everyday life of the Scots, discovers the glories of their culture, and discovers that she feels totally at home on an island off the Scottish coast. The book swirls with music and friendship and dance and, most of all, romance.

A sweeping story.

Rating:
Summary: A Sweeping Story
Review: There is a lot in this book: romance with an island, romance with a culture, romance in this century, and romance in past centuries. Westering Home weaves it all together, seen thru the fresh eyes of a Milwaukee housewife who did all the right things, but found her marriage dissolving around her.

Scotland was the remedy for her, and we follow how she discovers the everyday life of the Scots, discovers the glories of their culture, and discovers that she feels totally at home on an island off the Scottish coast. The book swirls with music and friendship and dance and, most of all, romance.

A sweeping story.