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A Scent of Bluebells
They called her Auld Nally—the local moneylender in one of Glasgow's roughest areas, Inchcraig. But once she'd been Alice McInally, beautiful and beloved by her childhood sweetheart. She hadn't anticipated the outcry when they announced their betrothal—as he was Catholic and she was Protestant. Cast out by their well-to-do families, the couple's hope of a bright future founders in the realities of war-torn Glasgow, and Alice ends up struggling to make ends meet in the only way she can. Somehow she will win respectability for the children in her care—even if that means telling a lie with the best of intentions!
416 pages, Paperback
First published July 30, 2012
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About the author
Meg Henderson
17 books14 followers*note - Born in 1948 however the date/month on my part is unknown and unable to find*
Journalist and author Meg Henderson was born in Townhead, Glasgow. The youngest of three children (2 brothers). Her parents an Irish Catholic father and her mother an Irish/Scottish Protestant.
Meg Henderson lived in several parts of the city including Blackhill, Drumchapel, and Maryhill. After the death of her beloved aunt Peggy; Meg Henderson left her convent secondary school at the age of sixteen to care for her family, an alcoholic father and a mother who was unable to cope with the loss of her sister. On which her first novel 'Finding Peggy' was born out of research into her family history.
First working within the NHS and then travelling to India with the Voluntary Service Overseas. On her return to Scotland she married and went to live on a Scottish island and became an adoptive and foster parent while writing the occasional newspaper article. When Meg Henderson gave up fostering she decided to write full-time.
Henderson now lives with her husband on the East Coast of Scotland works as both a journalist and an author, writting for newspapers, magazines, and television documentaries for the BBC and C4.
Henderson's novels are generally set in pre-war and wartime Glasgow.
Journalist and author Meg Henderson was born in Townhead, Glasgow. The youngest of three children (2 brothers). Her parents an Irish Catholic father and her mother an Irish/Scottish Protestant.
Meg Henderson lived in several parts of the city including Blackhill, Drumchapel, and Maryhill. After the death of her beloved aunt Peggy; Meg Henderson left her convent secondary school at the age of sixteen to care for her family, an alcoholic father and a mother who was unable to cope with the loss of her sister. On which her first novel 'Finding Peggy' was born out of research into her family history.
First working within the NHS and then travelling to India with the Voluntary Service Overseas. On her return to Scotland she married and went to live on a Scottish island and became an adoptive and foster parent while writing the occasional newspaper article. When Meg Henderson gave up fostering she decided to write full-time.
Henderson now lives with her husband on the East Coast of Scotland works as both a journalist and an author, writting for newspapers, magazines, and television documentaries for the BBC and C4.
Henderson's novels are generally set in pre-war and wartime Glasgow.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 18, 2020
Novel
First book I have read of meg henderson. Would highly recommend it. Looking forward to reading her other novels. Good story from start to finish.
First book I have read of meg henderson. Would highly recommend it. Looking forward to reading her other novels. Good story from start to finish.
January 16, 2023
An emotional sentimental walk through the love, life and the community of an Irish family (with some moving to Glasgow) which high lights the religious tensions of both Ireland and the west coast of Scotland. I know this author's work, her bio (Finding Peggy ) was very readable.
December 11, 2019
In the backdrop of WW1, Protestant girl and Catholic boy from Belfast decide to get married. Bad idea. Forced out of Ireland by their families' prejudice, they escape to Glasgow, where Alice struggles to bring up her two children after her new husband dies in the war. To maintain respectability she keeps a great secret from her daughter....
Henderson maintains interest through the book because she has created an engaging, feisty character in Alice. However the delivery is predictable and plodding, and points are laboured as if Henderson does not trust us to'get it' unless she's described everything in triplicate
Henderson maintains interest through the book because she has created an engaging, feisty character in Alice. However the delivery is predictable and plodding, and points are laboured as if Henderson does not trust us to'get it' unless she's described everything in triplicate
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews