Margaret Elphinstone est une romancière écossaise dont l'œuvre explore souvent la relation complexe entre les humains et le monde naturel, en abordant des thèmes d'identité, de mémoire et d'histoire. Son style d'écriture se caractérise par une prose lyrique et évocatrice, puisant fréquemment son inspiration dans les paysages et les décors marins rencontrés lors de ses longs voyages et séjours dans des lieux reculés. Elphinstone examine attentivement comment les environnements façonnent l'expérience humaine et comment le passé résonne dans le présent. Ses récits sont profondément réfléchis et captivants, abordant souvent les complexités des liens humains et notre place dans le monde.
Set in the 'debatable lands' between Scotland and England, the narrative delves into the intricate borders of consciousness, exploring themes of waking versus dreaming, sanity versus madness, and the interplay between myth and reality. Elphinstone weaves a rich tapestry that reflects on the complexities of our imagined pasts and the futures we aspire to, establishing a hauntingly evocative backdrop that resonates throughout her work.
Set against the backdrop of Shetland, this novel reflects the author's transformative seven-year experience living on the islands. It weaves together her explorations of the landscape, her discovery of local sagas while working at the library, and her involvement in archaeological digs. The narrative was revised in the 1990s in various locations, including Iceland, before its publication in 1994. This debut work not only captures the essence of Shetland but also marks the beginning of Margaret Elphinstone's journey as a writer.
Exploring early themes and motifs that define Margaret Elphinstone's later work, this new edition of An Apple from a Tree features additional stories previously published elsewhere. Readers can delve into her unique narrative style and the foundational elements that shape her storytelling, offering insights into her literary evolution.
Exploring the profound connection between humanity and nature, this book delves into the idea that people and the land are intrinsically linked. It emphasizes the cyclical relationship of birth, life, and death, suggesting that the experiences and sufferings of individuals mirror the fate of the land. Through this lens, it highlights the interdependence of humans and their environment, asserting that actions affecting one will inevitably impact the other.
Set against the backdrop of the mysterious island of Hy Brasil in the North Atlantic, the story follows young Englishwoman Sidony as she embarks on a unique assignment to write a travel guide. The island's eccentric inhabitants add an intriguing layer to her journey, inviting exploration of their peculiar lifestyle and culture. Sidony's experiences promise to reveal the charm and quirks of this isolated community.
Elphinstone takes the reader back in time and intertwines this story with enduring themes of love, war and family ties . . .
A haunting and compelling historical novel, The Sea Road is an ambitious retelling of the Viking exploration of the North Atlantic from the view-point of one extraordinary woman, as transcribed by an Icelandic monk commissioned to write her life story by his superiors in Rome.Gudrid lives at the remote edge of the known world, in a starkly beautiful landscape where the sea is the only connection to the shores beyond. It is a world where the old Norse gods are still invoked, even as Christianity gains favor, where the spirits of the dead roam the vast northern ice fields, tormenting the living, and Viking explorers plunder foreign shores.Taking the accidental discovery of North America as its focal point, Gudrid's narrative describes a multilayered voyage into the unknown, all recounted with astonishing immediacy and rich atmospheric detail.
A compelling family drama of love and loss, set deep in our stone age past
Set on a tiny island off the Isle of Man in 1831, Light is a family drama that reads like a pulse-pounding thriller. Sisters-in-law Lucy and Diya are raising their children together far from prying Victorian eyes, even as they dread the day the outside world will come to their island. That invasion arrives in the form of a surveyor and his assistant, sent to the remote outpost because a new lighthouse must be built and, according to custom of the time, a man must be found to replace the current lighthouse keeper, Lucy. That Lucy does a man’s job and Diya turns out to be a highly educated Indian woman shocks and confuses the men, but soon romance blossoms. Faced with banishment from the only home she’d ever known, Diya’s hot-headed daughter attempts a terrible act that may lead the family to ruin. With an assured eye for capturing the alien beauty of the island, Margaret Elphinstone creates an empathetic and compassionate tale of two singular women coming to terms with a sea change in their lives.
A short novel from one of Scotland’s renowned writers. In a fractured dystopic future, the child Rue finds solace in the garden of a mysterious community …