The description of the Scottish island where this novel is set reminds me very much of the numerous books, fact and fiction, that I have read about life on St Kilda, prior to being evacuated . It is very evident that the author has thoroughly researched life on the islands, with vivid descriptions of the bleak hard desolate life, farming the seabirds from the cliffs for their meat, feathers and oil and the superstitions and beliefs of the islanders. I found this historical fiction to be very well written and compelling. Yes, it’s a bleak story but the exploration of human nature amidst descriptions of island life and community has been done extremely well, and I wish the author every success on publication. Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for this review copy.

A rare gem! I found this novel incredibly human, with characters extremely vividly drawn. Their relationship to nature, the tremulous and traitorous sea, the elements connecting them to the natural and superstition world show an exceptional quality of the writing. I found extremely fascinating and angering the arrogance and self-importance of Thomas of the man of the clothes wanting to convert the inhabitants of the isle. With no practical knowledge of what their life is like, Thomas tried to force his religion onto the natives of the island, with no understanding of their culture and traditions. Can he reach his aim? Can he reach the people? Thomas has his own demons as well. Can he help himself? A beautiful, yet tragic portrait of human nature in a time when Enlightenment seemed to be the word....
Highly recommended!
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.

I loved this, the island setting is so well evoked and I could almost feel the salt spray on my face as I read. Fantastic characters who were not at all times likeable but made them al the more real and engaging. Loved the reveals as the story unfolded and without spoilers, the ending felt right.

The feeling of claustrophobia clawed at my throat as I found myself on the tiny island of Eilean Eòin. And like the freezing fog on a winter's day, this story enshrouded me, burying itself deep into my heart and mind.

As I was reading, I could smell the sea, feel the salt on my skin, and hear the waves crashing into the shore.

Each chapter is narrated in turn by reverend Thomas Murray, newcomer to the island, and Flora McKinnon island native.

I adored Flora. She is flawed in so many ways, yet it is her flaws that make her so relatable, and have you rooting and caring for her. Flora is a mother, a grandmother, a loving wife but also a woman with a secret that haunts her.

Thomas Murray has a mission: to weed out religious dissent and purge the island in the name of progress. When a strange young woman is found washed up on the foreshore, Murray recruits Flora to help him find out the truth of who she is and where she came from.

Illness and famine start to blight the island and I found myself inside an islander's home; the heat of the flames in the hearth on my skin, and my eyes and throat burning with smoke, as I watched in horror as yet another life was cruelly extinguished.

I read nervously... hoping for certain outcomes, but terrified that tragedy would inevitably strike.

Samantha York has written a stunning novel. Immersive, beautifully written, with characters that will stay with you for a very, very long time.

What happens when an outsider meets a closed community.

In the 1700’s a priest is sent to a remote Scottish island and finds the locals are hostile to him. A young woman is then found on the beach and again the locals are hostile to her. I loved how this showed how groups behave to protect themselves but can also divide when times are challenging.

This looks at power through several lenses which change over the course of the book. How the men tried to solve problems in contrast to the women was very topical.

This was incredibly atmospheric and completely captured the feel of the island. I could smell the saltwater as I turned the pages.

This is not a book that can be consumed in passing. You will have to immerse yourself into this harsh, stark landscape of a remote Scottish western island in the 18thC.
Close-knit the community may be - a necessity rather than a cosy social group - but it is governed by superstition, xenophobia and distrust in anything out of the ordinary. Abject poverty and the death of loved ones are never too far away and even basic human needs usually have to be wrenched from a barren land.
Thrown into this volatile mix is the Reverend Murray, sent there to guide the spiritual life of the islanders.
When the elderly islander Flora MacKinnon finds a young woman close to death on the shore, the gaggle of islanders see this arrival as a bad omen, a “reckoning”.
Haunting and unsettling!