Can a family escape itâs dark past to find happiness?
Buckie, Scotland 1918
Brothers James and Innes Lowrie return home to their wives and families after the war, Innes working for a shipbuilder and James returning to sea and the family's fishing business. Sister Bethany Pate and Innes have sons and heirs to go into the family business, but James does not. Innes takes in orphaned Etta Mulholland, adding to his already large family.
In 1931, as the new generation take the helm and pursue various careers in Buckieâs fishing industry, some are content to take on the roles their parents have chosen for them, while others rail against these strictures. Adam Pate longs to join the man he knows as his uncle, James, as a fisherman, while his mother wants him to study at university and to find a life far from the danger of discovering dark family secrets.
Trouble brews when Etta Mulholland begins work as a herring gutter, guided by her cousins, but new relationships set various family members against one another, and the familyâs fortunes are threatened by external forces and the sea itself.
Is there light and happiness ahead for the hardworking families of Buckie or will discord from the past weave into their futures.
Storytelling at its best, Evelyn Hood is the original bestselling Scottish saga writer đŤ
Previously published as A Sparkle of Salt
PRAISE FOR EVELYN HOOD PRAISE FOR EVELYN HOOD
'Compelling from the start, heartfelt and beautifully written.' - Rosie Clarke
'An engrossing read, I loved it and am sure you will too' - Fenella J. Miller
'If you like Catherine Cookson, youâll love Evelyn Hoodâs books.â - Lizzie Lane
âEvelyn Hoodâs characters step off the page and into your heart.â - Sheila Riley
âThis is addictive and heartfelt storytelling, with colourful characters you'll never want to say goodbye to.â - Jane Lark
'Wonderfully descriptive, with memorable characters and a true sense of place.' - Tracy Baines
'Faultless historical detail and emotionally complex characters makethese engrossing and intelligent Evelyn Hood's sagas deeply satisfying' - Maisie Thomas
âEvocative, beautifully rich, brilliantly detailed and meticulously researched - this story transported me and kept me up way past my bedtime - a triumph of a story. I very highly recommend Evelyn Hoodâ â Renita DâSilva
'Scotland's Catherine Cookson' - Scots Magazine
âHood is immaculate in her historical detailâ - Scottish Herald
'Quite simply, I couldn't put it down. A rich and rewarding read' - Emma Blair
'Evelyn Hood has been called Scotland's Catherine Cookson. Unfair. She has her own distinctive voice' - Scots Magazine
âTouching, romantic and unforgettableâ - Reader Review
âLove all her booksâ - Reader Review
âEvelyn Hood produces the best of storiesâ - Reader Review
âI cannot put her books downâ - Reader Review
âLove everything Evelyn Hood writesâ - Reader Review
âEvelyn Hood is a fantastic writer, bringing the past to life and drawing you right into the storyâ - Reader Review
Sunday Times bestselling author, Evelyn Hood is best known for her Scottish family sagas set in her hometown of Paisley, and the âPriorâs Fordâ series set in the modern-day Scottish borders. Evelyn Hood passed away in Ayrshire in 2023, but the legacy of her writing continues, inspiring a generation of saga writers and touching readerâs hearts worldwide. All of Evelyn's novels have been republished by award-winning publisher Boldwood Books.