Bruach Blend

The Hebridean Trilogy #4

by Lillian Beckwith, Hannah Gordon

What can take the fire out of a fever, the ache out of loving and the meanness out of a miser? The answer according to Tearlaich is whisky—the "water of life". And when he suggests to Lillian that the islanders should have their own blend—a Bruach Blend—Lillian can see his logic. Add to this concoction of island life the regulars; Erchy, Hamish and Morag as well as Harry the hedgehog, pets and pests—and cows in love—and you have a diverse and pleasurable glimpse of the way the islanders manage on the island of Bruach.

Genres: Scotland, Humor, Memoir, Audiobook, British Literature, 20th Century, Autobiography

MP3 Book

First published January 1, 1978

About the author

Lilian Comber wrote fiction and non-fiction for both adults and children under the pseudonym Lillian Beckwith. She is best known for her series of comic novels based on her time living on a croft in the Scottish Hebrides.

Beckwith was born in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, in 1916, where her father ran a grocery shop. The shop provided the background for her memoir About My Father's Business, a child’s eye view of a 1920s family. She moved to the Isle of Skye with her husband in 1942, and began writing fiction after moving to the Isle of Man with her family twenty years later. She also completed a cookery book, Secrets from a Crofter’s Kitchen (Arrow, 1976).

Since her death, Beckwith’s novel A Shine of Rainbows has been made into a film starring Aidan Quinn and Connie Nielsen, which in 2009 won ‘Best Feature’ awards at the Heartland and Chicago Children’s Film Festivals.

Reviews

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

"'What but whiskey will take the ache out of lovin', the fire out of a fever an' the meanness out of a miser?' challenges Tearlaich when 'Miss Peckwitt' teases him about his reverence for the 'water of life.' Of course she cannot tell him.

"Here in this seventh book about the Hebridean village of Bruach and its inhabitants Lillian Beckwith again assembles a galaxy of characters. Some, like Erchy and Morag, the benignly philandering Hector and the artlessly indelicate Tearlaich, are already well known to her readers, but now we meet Willy, the fisherman with his sometimes strange, sometimes bawdy stories of life at sea and in port. We meet the tinkers and we hear how the devout Shamus's determination not to allow the Bruach Sabbath to be profaned led to a small mystery which 'Miss Peckwitt' is unlikely ever to be able to solve.

"But as well as human 'characters' in this book we are introduced to some of the animals and birds she encountered or nursed (or fled from) during her crofting life, among them Bonny, her cow; Crumley, the highland bull; the 'Infernal Gulliver' and most importantly Rowan, the sheepdog which she resolutely annexed from a neighbor."
~~front flap

Written with the author's usual eye for the quirks and charms of her neighbors, as well as herself, this book (and her others) makes the crofting life seem desirable, including the ever-present harsh weather and lack of "mod cons" we all take for granted today. Also as usual, she recounts her friends and the rest of the village with sympathy in a glossing way, allowing the reader to see their way of life and how they think and act as an invisible bystander would.

[W.R. Gingell · Rating 4 out of 5]

the villagers of the scottish hebrides are basically the rednecks of scotland and i'm good with that. it's always fun following miss peckwith's adventures at her croft and in the area, and if the contemptuous and more than slightly misogynistic villagers are sometimes hard to swallow, at least Lillian Beckwith doesn't allow them to be taken too seriously--as evidenced by the frustration of miss peckwith, who is never to find out exactly what happened to the old finger-wagger who peed on her electric fence...

(content: aforementioned misogyny, a sprinkling of swearing)

[Mardi D · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved my time spent with the folk of Bruach. With each book I've read, I learned more about the personalities of the characters and customs and life as it might have been like in the Hebrides in days gone by. Now that I've read all the Bruach books I feel a bit sad since I find myself thinking of the people as familiar friends. Lillian Beckwith describes things so well, I could feel the wind, see the landscape, hear the ocean and the birds and animals, smell the smells and feel like I was there experiencing the Bruach ceilidhs. Fairwell my friends, till we meet again in my dreams!

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Only in the Hebrides could a crofter like Beckwith order a mirror and end up adopting a dog. With a soft spot for animals (that can stray over into sentimentality) that is not appreciated by her neighbors, Beckwith is always trying to save or adopt some stray, but the unwanted collie Rowan is special to her. Her more religious neighbors disapprove of her mirror, bought to bring a bit more light into the dark kitchen, but not as much as one of them hates her battery-operated electric fence--since she runs it on the Sabbath! Despite the sometimes narrow horizons and the often horrible weather, Beckwith is happy in her adopted home.

[Heather Boundy · Rating 3 out of 5]

An entertaining and charming little book telling of the exploits of the whimsical, and often amusing, characters living on the island of Bruach in the Hebrides. The life of a crofter in mid twentieth century Scotland had its hardships, but also its joys. The characters tend toward caricatures, yet are delightful in their own ways - both human and animal alike. Anyone who has visited the Hebrides could not but be charmed by these stories.

[Esther · Rating 5 out of 5]

"It was Christmas Eve; tomorrow was Christmas Day but the preparations took no account of that. Tomorrow was the Sabbath and already by four o'clock on the Saturday afternoon, or evening as it was designated in Bruach, the Sabbath calm descended over the village like a sad grey mist."

Like a sad, grey mist. Religion. Bah, humbug.

And so ends Bruach Blend, the seventh and final book in Lillian Beckwith's Bruach series. I am bereft.

[Fiona · Rating 5 out of 5]

A few years ago, I read the first 4 of Lillian Beckwith's Hebridean Tales. In fact, I thought that was the whole series, and I was therefore very excited when I discovered there were more! Just like The Hills is Lonely, The Sea For Breakfast, The Loud Halo and A Rope In Case, I thoroughly enjoyed Bruach Blend, and there were many chuckles along the way. Hopefully, I will also come across Lightly Poached and Beautiful Just in the not-too-distant future.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love all of Lillian Beckwith's books. She writes so vividly, it's almost as if you're sitting at that kitchen table having a cup of tea.

[Marlan]

The Beckwith books are a delightful travel to an earlier time and a wild, windswept place.

[Adele · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sad to have now read the complete set of seven books about the Hebridean village of Bruach, Miss Peckwitt and friends. I enjoyed them all.

[jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love these books

Shame they do not have all of these on kindle! I would be able to read all.of them again as I can change the don't for my eyesight

[Sarah Orr · Rating 3 out of 5]

the cosiest palate cleanser

[Lillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another lovely trip to the Outer Hebrides to visit its lovely people. Lillian Beckwith brings the people and the way of life into vivid detail. If I could transport myself anywhere to anytime, I would pick there and then. The rest of the world considered them impoverished but they were richer than many others, with the things that really matter. My favorite quote comes from page 138 from Erchy after most of the village is chastised by the 'diagression' (dietician) for buying, what she considered, unhealthy food, Erchy responds, "Come to think of it, livin' is the unhealthiest thing we do; we all die of that sometime." Priceless wisdom. And one can live any kind of life they like, as long as they don't expect someone else to foot the bill, pay the piper if you will, once the party is over. I already look forward to reading this again in the future.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Something old and very good for cold winter evenings, like a mug of rose-hip tea.

For me Lillian Beckwith books stand side by side with books of James Herriot. They make you smile and laugh and shake your head in disbelief.

When one's stressful life feels worse than most thrillers, looking back to something so simple and stable, is truly soothing.

[Wilde Sky · Rating 3 out of 5]

A woman recounts her time on a small croft.

This book was quite interesting, but the writing felt dated and the pace was slow.

[Karen-Leigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am so sorry to finish this seven book series. Every page was a delight.