Why am I passionate about this?
As a child growing up in a rural community in the isle of Lewis, there were very few books I read which had any real connection with my local environment. This changed in my late teenage years when I encountered some of the books I mentioned here, together with some works about rural communities and islands in Ireland. I loved the way these books – including poetry, drama, non-fiction, short stories, and novels – opened my eyes and enabled me to see familiar surroundings in new and enlightening ways. The legacy of this still persists within me today.
Donald's book list on Scottish Highlands and Islands
Why did Donald love this book?
As someone who spent much of his teenage years in the port of Stornoway, I was also acutely aware of the power and impact of the fishing industry on the community.
Neil M. Gunn’s novel is a celebration of this, telling the story of a young fisherman in a powerfully dramatic and poetic way. It is also a fantastic introduction to the rest of his work.
1 author picked The Silver Darlings as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.
The Silver Darlings is a tale of lives hard won from a cruel sea and crueller landlords. It tells of strong young men and stronger women whose loves, fears and sorrows are set deep in a landscape of raw beauty and bleak reward. The dawning of the Herring Fisheries brought with it the hope of escape from the brutality of the Highland Clearances, and Neil Gunn's story paints a vivid picture of a community fighting against nature and history and refusing to be crushed.
- Coming soon!