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Fairleyden #1
Fairlyden
Matthew Cameron’s death has ended the three life lease on the tenancy of the farm of Nethertannoch but Sandy Logan hopes to secure the tenancy so that he can keep his promise, made to Matthew on his deathbed, namely to love and protect his daughter, Mattie. He has made his promise with joy and sincerity because he loves the beautiful and vulnerable Mattie, who has been deaf since childhood.
The laird, Sir Douglas Irving, has other plans. He has little interest in the remote Scottish glen of Caoranne, or its people, but he needs to buy the silence of rapacious farmer, Jacob Reevil, who has long coveted the prosperous Cameron farm – and Mattie. So the laird promises the girl and the farm to Reevil’s idiot son, with no thought for the consequences.
The laird, Sir Douglas Irving, has other plans. He has little interest in the remote Scottish glen of Caoranne, or its people, but he needs to buy the silence of rapacious farmer, Jacob Reevil, who has long coveted the prosperous Cameron farm – and Mattie. So the laird promises the girl and the farm to Reevil’s idiot son, with no thought for the consequences.
330 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1991
About the author
Gwen Kirkwood
51 books70 followersAlthough I was born on a Yorkshire farm and went to school there I have lived most of my adult life in Scotland, UK. I am a widow now but my husband was a dairy farmer. My son continues farming and my younger daughter has a farm ice cream parlour. They both live near to me so they keep me up to date with life and changing trends and I enjoy my grandchildren’s company.
I did not start writing until my elder daughter went to university. I entered a Woman’s Weekly competition and I was fortunate when Lynda O'Byrne, the fiction editor, wrote to tell me she had liked my entry and suggested I finish it and send it to publisher Robert Hale. It was too long for their Rainbow Romance format but I made the changes suggested and it was published under the name Lynn Granger. Three more followed. I shall always be grateful for the early encouragement and patience I received at that time.
The purchase of an Amstrad computer for the farm accounts was a boon. It had a word processor - a great improvement on my typing and Tippex. This enabled me to write the four longer sagas in the Fairlyden series which starts around 1850 and follows the generations to the end of the First World War. My husband helped with research of farming history for these, delving into his collection of Scottish Farmer Albums going back to 1900. I wish I had listened to more of the stories from my grandparents.
Since winning the RNA Elizabeth Goudge Trophy in 2000 I have written eleven more sagas, all with Scottish settings.
I have recently uploaded my early romances under my own name of Gwen Kirkwood, to Amazon and Smashwords as e-books, also the first two of the Fairlyden series are now available as e-books. http://www.Amazon.com/author/gwenkirk...
I share a blog with four other writers at http://www.novelpointsofview.blogspot...
Occasionally I contribute to the RNA http://www.historicalsaganovels.blogs...
I did not start writing until my elder daughter went to university. I entered a Woman’s Weekly competition and I was fortunate when Lynda O'Byrne, the fiction editor, wrote to tell me she had liked my entry and suggested I finish it and send it to publisher Robert Hale. It was too long for their Rainbow Romance format but I made the changes suggested and it was published under the name Lynn Granger. Three more followed. I shall always be grateful for the early encouragement and patience I received at that time.
The purchase of an Amstrad computer for the farm accounts was a boon. It had a word processor - a great improvement on my typing and Tippex. This enabled me to write the four longer sagas in the Fairlyden series which starts around 1850 and follows the generations to the end of the First World War. My husband helped with research of farming history for these, delving into his collection of Scottish Farmer Albums going back to 1900. I wish I had listened to more of the stories from my grandparents.
Since winning the RNA Elizabeth Goudge Trophy in 2000 I have written eleven more sagas, all with Scottish settings.
I have recently uploaded my early romances under my own name of Gwen Kirkwood, to Amazon and Smashwords as e-books, also the first two of the Fairlyden series are now available as e-books. http://www.Amazon.com/author/gwenkirk...
I share a blog with four other writers at http://www.novelpointsofview.blogspot...
Occasionally I contribute to the RNA http://www.historicalsaganovels.blogs...
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
October 19, 2025
I generally love Gwen Kirkwood books and love how swept up I get in her books but this one was different. Even knowing that the first book in any series tends to be darker than subsequent books this one hit me hard. But some of the threads in this just made me uncomfortable and have sat with me since I finished it.
I loved the characters of Mattie and Sarah but also loved Sarah, Danny and several others and Danny in particular and genuinely struggled with their fate, in addition to other characters who met fates that they didn't deserve, which might make GK a great author but please don't forget your readers might be humans, too.
I loved the characters of Mattie and Sarah but also loved Sarah, Danny and several others and Danny in particular and genuinely struggled with their fate, in addition to other characters who met fates that they didn't deserve, which might make GK a great author but please don't forget your readers might be humans, too.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Did Not Finish
August 14, 2020DNF at 25%. The way some dialogues are written put me off because I barely understand a thing. It's too also a bit too slow for me. TRIGGER WARNING : sexual abuse, violence, death (probably more but I don't lnow). Thank you NetGalley for the free ebook copy.
March 25, 2021
Someone p!ease write a movie script!
Without a doubt, one of my favorite sagas I've enjoyed on Kindle Unlimited! I loved the characters like family, felt their joy and their pain! It would be a mini series! Wow!
Without a doubt, one of my favorite sagas I've enjoyed on Kindle Unlimited! I loved the characters like family, felt their joy and their pain! It would be a mini series! Wow!
October 16, 2022
If you like family sagas then I highly recommend this wonderful series.
April 14, 2020
Reminiscent of Catherine Cookson. A saga of those who love and work the land ~ the men and women of the soil. This one had too many rapes and sexual violence against women... plus too many promising and good characters die here and why did it take years to wean Daniel from that slut when 4 months would have been enough? In such a very small community, nobody would even tell Sandy or the minister what was happening? I could not believe that Janet, the only female adult nearby could be so stupid and could not even help the 10~year~old Sarah? Sarah's teachers.... wasn't it their duty to inform her guardians about the state of her clothes?... her grooming and general appearance?.... her tardiness in coming to school?... were they all blind? Where were the busy~bodies and village gossips here?... apparently only when it involved sexual innuendos. Ridiculous.
February 11, 2017
I was rooting for the deaf central character, Mattie Cameron, and wanted her to succeed. I'm a big fan of underdogs. There was a great deal of pathos in her relationships and a number of memorable characters.
I wrote a blog essay partly dealing with Mattie in this novel as an example of discrimination against the deaf. This essay is very specific about the plot in the opening of the book. If that is too much of a spoiler for you, you are now warned. If you are interested in reading an essay about discrimination against the deaf and related deaf issues, please check out my blog at http://www.maskedpersona.blogspot.com
I wrote a blog essay partly dealing with Mattie in this novel as an example of discrimination against the deaf. This essay is very specific about the plot in the opening of the book. If that is too much of a spoiler for you, you are now warned. If you are interested in reading an essay about discrimination against the deaf and related deaf issues, please check out my blog at http://www.maskedpersona.blogspot.com
June 24, 2016
An adventure romance novel
This was very interesting and kept your attention throughout the book.It was adventurous and kept me intrigued and satisfied.The plot was suspenseful and a thriller.It had some heartbreak during) the story which really was suspenseful.I would recommend this book to be read by anyone looking for a good down to earth storyline.At times it had a Christian direction which was enlightening and very welcome.It very much deserved the five star rating I gave it
This was very interesting and kept your attention throughout the book.It was adventurous and kept me intrigued and satisfied.The plot was suspenseful and a thriller.It had some heartbreak during) the story which really was suspenseful.I would recommend this book to be read by anyone looking for a good down to earth storyline.At times it had a Christian direction which was enlightening and very welcome.It very much deserved the five star rating I gave it
January 23, 2017
I won this book as a first reads. I read it awhile ago and really enjoyed the story.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews