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The Fisher Lass
Arriving with the "herring girls" who follow the shoals down the coast, the orphaned Jeannie Buchanan rescues Gracie from a stag-night mob and is welcomed into her family. The groom marries the girl his parents chose, but Jeannie cannot forget him, even after she marries Gracie's brother.
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First published August 13, 1999
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About the author
Margaret Dickinson
95 books178 followersBorn in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, Margaret Dickinson moved to the coast at the age of seven and so began her love for the sea and the Lincolnshire landscape. Her ambition to be a writer began early and she had her first novel published at the age of twenty-five. This was followed by many further titles including Plough the Furrow, Sow the Seed and Reap the Harvest, which make up her Lincolnshire Fleethaven Trilogy. She is also the author of Fairfield Hall, Jenny's War and The Clippie Girls. Margaret is a Sunday Times Top Ten bestseller.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
September 20, 2022
The fisher lass of the title is a Scottish lass working with other girls alongside the trawlers that bring in herring. They are hired to either gut or pack the fish. Her mother, having died seven years ago, she is now searching for her beloved father. He has failed to come back from his last fishing expedition. The girl’s name is Jeannie.
The book opens with a tumultuous scene. Jeannie rescues a young girl from a group of drunk, raucous boys at a stag party. Jeannie has gumption. She’s feisty. This we come to understand right off the bat, but on the whole the start is somewhat confusing. Many names are thrown at the reader. Much information is given, but not in a comprehensible manner. How the characters are interrelated is unclear. The characters speak in a thick Scottish brogue which makes what is going on even harder to follow. Only once you have a sure grip on who is who and what’s unfolding, can one sit back and enjoy the story. Patience is required.
Although the characters are men and women of the herring trade, the central focus of the story is really much more about love and family. Jeannie does not move on with the other girls working alongside the trawlers. She ends up marrying, but not to the man for whom she feels an immediate attraction. We follow her family and the family of the powerful trawler owners. The time setting is before, during and after the Second World War.
You could easily classify this novel as chick lit, a genre I seldom read or enjoy. But here is the thing—I have enjoyed reading this. I was caught up in the story. I was hoping with all my heart that things would go well for the characters. The story is long; we watch what happens in the families over the years. Lots happens, and the tale kept my interested all the way through. Margaret Dickinson throws in the right amount of suspense, and she doesn’t stretch believability too far.
I am kind of surprised that I like this book, but I do. There is the truth of the matter. I don’t think it is a book I will remember much of, but it kept my attention as I read. It’s a good, light read, and I wouldn’t mind reading more by the author. She tells a good story.
The audiobook narration is by Karina Fernandez. This sounds like a Spanish name, but she sure speaks in a thick and to my ears accurate Scottish brogue. This is appropriate for the tale. Once I got used to the narration, I enjoyed it, although it was not always easy to follow. Three stars for the audio narration.
******************
*The Fisher Lass 3 stars
*The Clippie Girls TBR
The book opens with a tumultuous scene. Jeannie rescues a young girl from a group of drunk, raucous boys at a stag party. Jeannie has gumption. She’s feisty. This we come to understand right off the bat, but on the whole the start is somewhat confusing. Many names are thrown at the reader. Much information is given, but not in a comprehensible manner. How the characters are interrelated is unclear. The characters speak in a thick Scottish brogue which makes what is going on even harder to follow. Only once you have a sure grip on who is who and what’s unfolding, can one sit back and enjoy the story. Patience is required.
Although the characters are men and women of the herring trade, the central focus of the story is really much more about love and family. Jeannie does not move on with the other girls working alongside the trawlers. She ends up marrying, but not to the man for whom she feels an immediate attraction. We follow her family and the family of the powerful trawler owners. The time setting is before, during and after the Second World War.
You could easily classify this novel as chick lit, a genre I seldom read or enjoy. But here is the thing—I have enjoyed reading this. I was caught up in the story. I was hoping with all my heart that things would go well for the characters. The story is long; we watch what happens in the families over the years. Lots happens, and the tale kept my interested all the way through. Margaret Dickinson throws in the right amount of suspense, and she doesn’t stretch believability too far.
I am kind of surprised that I like this book, but I do. There is the truth of the matter. I don’t think it is a book I will remember much of, but it kept my attention as I read. It’s a good, light read, and I wouldn’t mind reading more by the author. She tells a good story.
The audiobook narration is by Karina Fernandez. This sounds like a Spanish name, but she sure speaks in a thick and to my ears accurate Scottish brogue. This is appropriate for the tale. Once I got used to the narration, I enjoyed it, although it was not always easy to follow. Three stars for the audio narration.
******************
*The Fisher Lass 3 stars
*The Clippie Girls TBR
March 28, 2018
Great read as usual from Margaret Dickinson. The fisher men and women did indeed have a hard life. Having lived on the east coast of Scotland for many years, I have seen photographs and old films of the women doing exactly as described in this novel so a great deal of research was obviously carried out and what a rough time the men folk had also sailing in all weathers to make a living. I'm not going to give anything away but would certainly recommend it. There are some happy and sad moments but I felt it was a jolly good read.
February 20, 2015
A wonderful nautical period drama telling the tale of the lives of fisher girls who follow the fleets of ships to prepare the catch.
When Jeannie goes to Havelock from Scotland ostensibly to maybe get word of her missing, presumed father she unwittingly through circumstances makes the acquaintance of the Lawrence family after rescuing their daughter Grace from a drunken mob of young men.
They take her under their wing but she is inadvertantly drawn to one of the would be attackers though she is loath to admit it to herself but those thoughts are futile as the man in question was on his stag night when the incident occurred and is going to marry the wealthy Louise to unite the Hayes Gorton and Hathersgage trawling families.
Time passes and she marries the Lawrences' son and they start to raise a family though their attempts are blighted due to Tom's jealousy as he suspects Jeannie's feelings for Robert Hayes Gorton whom he mistakenly believes was responsible for attacking Grace that fateful night, add to that the pressure of caring for Grace's son after her affair to Robert's brother Francis and her subsequent death in childbirth.
But when an accident happens and Tom is cruelly taken away from the family and Robert's wife and evil brother Francis are killed while conducting an affair in London during a bomb raid both Robert and Jeannie believe they can finally be together but what they didn't count on was the enmity that both boys, Joe her son and Grace's son Sammy who was brought up as Jeannie's own hold for the Robert and the Hayes Gorton family in general.
After so many years loving each other from afar can Jeannie and Robert EVER be together or will family hatred forever keep them apart?
A wonderful sweeping epic of love across the classes.
A great read which I couldn't put down well worth reading and will appeal to fans of other authors such as Josephine Cox, Catherine Cookson etc.
When Jeannie goes to Havelock from Scotland ostensibly to maybe get word of her missing, presumed father she unwittingly through circumstances makes the acquaintance of the Lawrence family after rescuing their daughter Grace from a drunken mob of young men.
They take her under their wing but she is inadvertantly drawn to one of the would be attackers though she is loath to admit it to herself but those thoughts are futile as the man in question was on his stag night when the incident occurred and is going to marry the wealthy Louise to unite the Hayes Gorton and Hathersgage trawling families.
Time passes and she marries the Lawrences' son and they start to raise a family though their attempts are blighted due to Tom's jealousy as he suspects Jeannie's feelings for Robert Hayes Gorton whom he mistakenly believes was responsible for attacking Grace that fateful night, add to that the pressure of caring for Grace's son after her affair to Robert's brother Francis and her subsequent death in childbirth.
But when an accident happens and Tom is cruelly taken away from the family and Robert's wife and evil brother Francis are killed while conducting an affair in London during a bomb raid both Robert and Jeannie believe they can finally be together but what they didn't count on was the enmity that both boys, Joe her son and Grace's son Sammy who was brought up as Jeannie's own hold for the Robert and the Hayes Gorton family in general.
After so many years loving each other from afar can Jeannie and Robert EVER be together or will family hatred forever keep them apart?
A wonderful sweeping epic of love across the classes.
A great read which I couldn't put down well worth reading and will appeal to fans of other authors such as Josephine Cox, Catherine Cookson etc.
April 23, 2015
Life in the herring industry.
This was an abridged audiobook, so I would doubtless have missed out on some of the background and character building of the complete version, but this felt very cliche and predictable. It did entertain me during a few long drives, but the ending brought little in the way of surprises and I was ready to move on to my next read.
Jeanie has lost her father, a fisherman, whose boat never returned one evening. Her mother had died when she was young and she's now alone. She has moved south from Scotland to work with the girls who followed the herring fleet, gutting and packing the catch. When she rescues fifteen year-old Grace from a drunken attack, she is welcomed into Grace's family and falls for her older brother, Tom Lawrence.
There are complicated relationships between the Lawrence family and the owners of the trawlers that they fished on. The romance and intrigue centres on these two families, who are miles apart in terms of wealth and status.
I enjoyed learning about these fishermen and their families; the hardships and dangers they faced and the hardworking women who gutted and packed the fish.
I was irritated by the narrator, who spoke with only two voices, male and female, and over-enunciated her words. And did these people really call each other 'hen'? That also annoyed me!
This was an abridged audiobook, so I would doubtless have missed out on some of the background and character building of the complete version, but this felt very cliche and predictable. It did entertain me during a few long drives, but the ending brought little in the way of surprises and I was ready to move on to my next read.
Jeanie has lost her father, a fisherman, whose boat never returned one evening. Her mother had died when she was young and she's now alone. She has moved south from Scotland to work with the girls who followed the herring fleet, gutting and packing the catch. When she rescues fifteen year-old Grace from a drunken attack, she is welcomed into Grace's family and falls for her older brother, Tom Lawrence.
There are complicated relationships between the Lawrence family and the owners of the trawlers that they fished on. The romance and intrigue centres on these two families, who are miles apart in terms of wealth and status.
I enjoyed learning about these fishermen and their families; the hardships and dangers they faced and the hardworking women who gutted and packed the fish.
I was irritated by the narrator, who spoke with only two voices, male and female, and over-enunciated her words. And did these people really call each other 'hen'? That also annoyed me!
November 1, 2014
This is an excellent story of women on the east coast of Scotland, who followed the herring fleet each year to make extra money. They stood on freezing quaysides or in draughty warehouses, gutting, packing and salting the fresh herrings.
Barrels of herrings were then shipped to London or the Netherlands for sale so this was a huge factor in the local economy. The herring population was devastated by many years of intensive fishing and has never recovered, but at the time all these cheerful working women knew was that they might have better food on the table next week.
The characters are friendly and involving and we get a look at the uncertainty of life aboard a fishing vessel as well as on land.
I can recommend this book. There are two more: The Sparkle Of The Salt and The Shimmer Of The Herring.
Barrels of herrings were then shipped to London or the Netherlands for sale so this was a huge factor in the local economy. The herring population was devastated by many years of intensive fishing and has never recovered, but at the time all these cheerful working women knew was that they might have better food on the table next week.
The characters are friendly and involving and we get a look at the uncertainty of life aboard a fishing vessel as well as on land.
I can recommend this book. There are two more: The Sparkle Of The Salt and The Shimmer Of The Herring.
January 22, 2018
This was a very well written book, with very real characters and hardships. Everyone had strengths and flaws, including ones that were passed down through generations.
It does span many years, which I am normally not into, but Margaret Dickinson kept me reading right through.
I'd happily give another one of hers a go.
It does span many years, which I am normally not into, but Margaret Dickinson kept me reading right through.
I'd happily give another one of hers a go.
July 27, 2012
A good book for reading on holiday. Easy to read.
September 8, 2013
I really enjoyed this page turner. will be looking for another margaret dickinson.
May 29, 2015
I always enjoy Margaret Dickinson's books and this was no exception I did read it some time ago however!
January 17, 2025
This story has shades of Catherine Cookson, although set in Lincolnshire. A Scottish girl, Jeannie, has arrived in Havelock in the hope that her fisherman father has turned up with the herring fleet. She witnesses and rescues a young girl being accosted by 3 men out on a stag night. As a result, Jeannie is invited to stay at the girl's family home. The story develops with Jeannie deciding to stay in Havelock and eventually marrying, but the deeper story is about star=crossed lovers, both married to the wrong partners, and living in different levels of society. It is a story about family relationships, undeserved hatreds, which result in heartbreak, and a strong, good-hearted woman who puts loyalty above love.
February 20, 2022
I enjoyed this book very much, and also Ms. Dickenson's writing. This story held a special entity for me as I lived in Dunmore East, a fishing port on the South Coast of Ireland and the herring fishing is a huge business there. The Scottish fish buyers would come to the village starting Oct. until Jan. and in the fifties the women filleting the fish would also arrive at about the same time. This was a wonderful industry until modernisation saw its demise. The story Ms. Dickenson tells is captivating and a little taste of history for our young modern girls and men. Thank you for a lovely story and so well told.
April 8, 2025
A nice story chronicling the life of Jeannie Buchanan, how she becomes entwined in the lives of a local family near to where she works, and also with the owners of the trawlers that fish from the village (the Hayes-Gorton’s).
A bit predictable in places, and also the declaration of love between Jeannie and Robert was a bit hurried and not really believable. Would have liked to have seen that story fleshed out more.
A quick read, not a bad book, not really anything to get your teeth into.
A bit predictable in places, and also the declaration of love between Jeannie and Robert was a bit hurried and not really believable. Would have liked to have seen that story fleshed out more.
A quick read, not a bad book, not really anything to get your teeth into.
August 4, 2021
I enjoyed the beautiful setting that was created, you can reallly visualise it from the text, and the main character was likeable and easy to relate to. However, there was SOO MUCH DEATH, literally almost everyone that you meet in the story dies. The ending doesn’t make up for all the death, it’s quite depressing.
July 12, 2018
This was my first Margaret Dickinson book. I liked the book, the story but it was not very appealing. One can get the idea about the life of Fisher girls. Recommended for those who like to know about the life of Fisher girls.
October 16, 2019
Great story
This was great story happy dad the up n downs for Jeannie I just had to keep reading ! Would recommend this book.*****
This was great story happy dad the up n downs for Jeannie I just had to keep reading ! Would recommend this book.*****
January 12, 2020
Enjoyed this book.
Read
December 17, 2020Very good read as always.
January 1, 2017
Nice easy read about life in the fishing industry in the first half of the 20th century. I found it a bit predictable and didn't delve into the lives of the women as much as I would have liked. How did they manage? How did they look after their families as well as working long hours. The author glossed over all these details, my grandmother was born into a fishing community on the east coast so I would have liked a bit more detail about these resilient women. The romance was totally predictable but I would have preferred it without the 'fairy tale' ending. Wealthy men do not marry fisher lasses.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews