My Scottish bookshelf
Posted July 7, 2010 2:15 pm by Andrew Martin | Permalink
Having just completed And the land lay still the majestic new novel by James Robertson – an epic, confident panorama of the last fifty years of Scotland’s political and social history, it was a real change of pace to turn to an intimate little book by a new talent. And this is true is the debut novel by Emily Mackie who was brought up in the Highlands, where the story is set. A world away from Robertson’s busy cast of characters, Mackie’s book centres on a teenage boy and his father who have been living in a van for the last eleven years and who find themselves moving into a caravan on a Highland farm. A simple summary does not do justice to the relationship the two share. Beautifully and imaginatively written, and with – as a bonus in the hardback edition– a wonderfully clever dust-jacket, And this is true is a gem. Read more here about Emily Mackie in an interview here and at The Guardian.