Follow the Dove

Fifteen year old Isa Muirison loves her life working for the floating shops of Orkney at the turn of the 20th century. But her happy family life is thrown into turmoil by her father's decision to emigrate to Canada, her sister's illness, and her own love for Davie, a penniless whisky runner. Despite her family's opposition, she follows Davie to his tiny island home where she is met by the fierce hostility of his mother and his childhood sweetheart, Chrissie.

Alone among strangers, Isa's unrelenting determination gains acceptance and popularity in the close-knit community. But no one could have foreseen the tragedy that rips the heart out of that community and shatters Isa's security... Meanwhile, Chrissie has found solace in the arms of Davie's violent brother Jack, only to discover a darkness in his soul she could never have imagined. Events are set in motion over which the two women have no control...

Will either of them ever find peace - and in whose arms will Davie find solace? Set in the Northern isles of Scotland, amid the treacherous waters of the Pentland Firth, Follow the Dove shows how love can conquer all, and how, even in the most diverse of conditions, a community can pull together to protect its own. It describes a way of life that is authentic but gone forever. Inspired by Catherine Cookson, Jessica Stirling and Evelyn Hood, the book will appeal to women interested in historical fiction. Follow the Dove won the second prize in the novel category of the Scottish Association of Writers.