November 2013
The Road Home - by Charlotte Buelow
The lovely village of Killin lies in the heart of Scotland; the majestic Ben Lawers watching over her like a knight guarding his castle. If you listen carefully, you will hear The Falls of Dochart rushing over the black rocks telling the secrets of the Clan McNab whose burial ground lies on her island and is sheltered by the golden aura that surrounds her. Steeped in history, her resilient people have weathered The Highland Clearances and retold the stories of Fingal and his stone, Finlarig Castle, the ferocious Campbell Clan and all of the superstitions that make them who they are today with their colorful language and deep rooted traditions. Born and raised in this historic village are William and Mary who grew up together and fell in love; their fathers do not see eye to eye and William must decide if he wants to become a hated tacksman like his father or find his own lot in life. Then, a tragic accident changes the lives of these two young people; but will it bring them closer together or tear them farther apart? How many deep dark secrets is William keeping from those who love him? is he the easy going, good looking lad everyone assumed him to be or a man of mystery? A large inheritance brings financial security to many of the Killin residents but does it make the heiress happy or will she spend her life looking at the past; unable to see what's waiting for her in the future? Does the lonely little nurse with the big heart finally find real love or will she be betrayed by the bonnie lass with the wild black hair and black eyes? How long will the sensuous teacher with the intense dark eyes wait in the wings to finally conquer the woman he loves before he decides to give up and try to find someone else? Can a young man return home again and be forgiven or must he spend the rest of his life on the outskirts yearing to see his beloved Killin again? Find out in The Road Home.
This book took a while to get into, but I persevered and enjoyed the story. The style of writing is too explicit which makes reading slow. The author tired too hard to mention how to get to places (some of which did not exist in the period in which the book was set), and the distances are totally inaccurate. It would have been better to set the story in a totally fictitious place then no criticism can be made. I also hated the "wikipedia" type references to customs and traditional food etc - put it in a glossary, but don't weigh the story telling down by it as many readers will know these things anyway. I was also not quite sure of timescales for things mentioned - maybe tighten up on what period you are writing about and make sure you don't mention things that haven't been invented yet! It would be interesting to see Charlotte's reaction to the area when she finally visits Killin.
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The Road Home by Rose Tremain.
Lev is on his way from Eastern Europe to Britain, seeking work. Behind him loom the figures of his dead wife, his beloved young daugher and his outrageous friend Rudi who - dreaming of the wealthy West - lives largely for his battered Chevrolet. Ahead of Lev lies the deep strangeness of the British: their hostile streets, their clannish pubs, their obsession with celebrity. London holds out the alluring possibility of friendship, sex, money and a new career and, if Lev is lucky, a new sense of belonging...
I loved this book, right from the onset I was hooked. My only criticism is that there seemed to be a big jump from the turning point in Lev's time in Britain to his final journey. The book is well written and is brought to life in your imagination. It is definately a good read.
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