The Cromarty Library Circle by Shona Maclean

Ostensibly united by a love of books, the demands of social convention have brought together a disparate group of people. Charlotte Mackenzie, the remote and fragile wife of the local laird, seeks an escape from a loveless marriage; her best friend, Rachel Mackay, a former governess who is ardently in love with her own older husband, the town's minister; the young schoolmaster, John Learmonth, newly arrived from Edinburgh with secrets in tow; and the gentle bank clerk, Ludovic Cameron who dreams of a new life across the ocean, far from his erstwhile schoolmate, the malevolent Farquhar Hossack. When the laird befriends a wounded officer, a chain of events is set into motion that threatens to upset the delicate equilibrium of the community.

Loved this , I've read close to 50+ books these past 12 months and this book has to be there with the best . First time read by this author and I was blown away by the depth of the story , you could almost believe you were around the characters whilst the plot unfolded.
The characters were so intwined with each other , which for me , really added to the story .
Loved it.

A wonderful story of people and places in a time of turmoil.

"The Cromarty Library Circle" opens on The Black Isle in Autumn of 1831. We are immediately introduced to a large number of characters, from a maid to a teacher, to members of the landed gentry. And to the wild, windy and magnificent place that is Cromarty.

We soon learn that the inaugural meeting of the Cromarty Library Circle is about to take place. The Good and the Great have come together to choose which books to include in the library, each picking a favourite. Among them, Charlotte, wife of the local laird, her friend, Rachel, a former governess now deeply in love with her husband the town's minister. John Learmonth, the young schoolmaster, newly arrived from Edinburgh and bank clerk, Ludovic who dreams of a new life across the ocean. Oh, and Miss Juniper, governess, with a murky background, and completely my favourite character in the book.

The meeting is a delight to witness, as each member promotes their choice, while clearly displaying their superior knowledge and wisdom where enlightened reading is concerned. Books were expensive, procuring them was expensive, and so the choices were accompanied by profound arguments.

But soon events take place that threaten to throw the wider community into turmoil, and it's the interplay between characters that make this book so entertaining. Set against the backdrop of political unrest and societal change, (the Great Reform Bill was about to be debated), mass emigrations, a cholera epidemic sweeping across Europe, and a campaign to abolish slavery in the British Caribbean, the story reflects fears and beliefs of a society in microcosm, in just a single year.

Fans of Shona MacLean's previous books, the Seaton series and the Seeker series, will find something totally new in this book. The beautifully described background of Cromarty with its windswept and wild scenery, and the fully-realised characters all come together to form a technicolour display of life in the early nineteenth century.

Heartily recommended.