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The Way Through the Valley
Catriona had enjoyed her course in Edinburgh and especially her dates with Robin. Now she was ready to begin a new life and Robin seemed likely to be part of it. What a time, then, to meet Andrew again--the man she'd been trying for three years to forget!
- GenresHarlequin Romance
Unknown Binding
First published June 1, 1971
4 people want to read
About the author
Jean S. MacLeod
141 books15 followersJean Sutherland MacLeod was born in 20 January 1908 in Glasgow, Scotland, UK. She was the daughter of Elizabeth Allen and John MacLeod. Her father, who was a civil engineer, moved with jobs. Her education began at Bearsden Academy, continued in Swansea and ended in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. She moved to North Yorkshire, England to marry with Lionel Walton on 1 January 1935, an electricity board executive, who died in 1995. They had a son, David Walton, who died two years before her. She passed away on 11 April 2011 at 103 years.
Jean S. MacLeod started writing stories for the magazine The People's Friend, before sold her first romance novel in 1936. She wrote contemporary romances, most of them were set in her native Scotland, or in exotic places like Spain or Caribbean, places that she normally visited for documented. From 1948 to 1965, she also published under the pseudonym of Catherine Airlie. She published her last novel in 1996, a year after her husband death. She was member of the Romantic Novelists' Association, where she met the mediatic writer Barbara Cartland, who was not too friendly.
Jean S. MacLeod started writing stories for the magazine The People's Friend, before sold her first romance novel in 1936. She wrote contemporary romances, most of them were set in her native Scotland, or in exotic places like Spain or Caribbean, places that she normally visited for documented. From 1948 to 1965, she also published under the pseudonym of Catherine Airlie. She published her last novel in 1996, a year after her husband death. She was member of the Romantic Novelists' Association, where she met the mediatic writer Barbara Cartland, who was not too friendly.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 20, 2019
Set in Switzerland at Christmas time – home of skiing, avalanches, horse-drawn carriages, castles and chateaux. Nurse heroine travels there to care for her boyfriend’s (OM) godmother. OM is hoping the old lady will give him money to start an antiques shop on Edinburgh and thinks the heroine will impress her. Heroine is not happy to be used this way, but she is at loose ends and goes along.
Heroine soon discovers that the love of her life (hero) is working at an orphanage/clinic in the castle the old lady owns. H/h had parted in anger 3 years before when hero wanted her to marry him and move to London and heroine refused without really explaining why. Hero was bitter and heroine sorrowful. And they both still are still in the same mindset when they meet again. (Heroine felt she had to work so her brother and sister could get their education. She was raised by a single mom and her grandmother who sacrificed for her nursing career.)
Nothing much happens with the central romance. Hero is cruel several times to the heroine, but he does carry her up a mountain after a skiing accident. The OM showing up for the holidays doesn’t help, either.
But the focus of the story is on the old lady and her orphans, especially the 16 year-old half Romany girl she adopted eleven years ago. The old lady thinks she’s having an affair with a fellow “gipsy” and wants the heroine to influence the girl. Heroine thinks of her as a potential OW to the hero and the OM! Thankfully, that is not the case.
Once an avalanche has wiped out the house the heroine lived in and the 16 year-old is told the truth of her heritage, the author dispatches the OM and allows the H/h to finally set aside their pride and sorrow for an HEA.
This is a charmingly told story – with some casual racism thrown in to remind the reader we’re not in enlightened times – but if you can get past that and the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it-romance, you’ll find a solid vintage family saga with a travelogue thrown in for good measure.
FYI: This is the second story in the compilation volume,Wayaway / The Way Through the Valley / Not Wanted On Voyage on Open Library. I recommend all of those stories for lovers of vintage travelogues.
Heroine soon discovers that the love of her life (hero) is working at an orphanage/clinic in the castle the old lady owns. H/h had parted in anger 3 years before when hero wanted her to marry him and move to London and heroine refused without really explaining why. Hero was bitter and heroine sorrowful. And they both still are still in the same mindset when they meet again. (Heroine felt she had to work so her brother and sister could get their education. She was raised by a single mom and her grandmother who sacrificed for her nursing career.)
Nothing much happens with the central romance. Hero is cruel several times to the heroine, but he does carry her up a mountain after a skiing accident. The OM showing up for the holidays doesn’t help, either.
But the focus of the story is on the old lady and her orphans, especially the 16 year-old half Romany girl she adopted eleven years ago. The old lady thinks she’s having an affair with a fellow “gipsy” and wants the heroine to influence the girl. Heroine thinks of her as a potential OW to the hero and the OM! Thankfully, that is not the case.
Once an avalanche has wiped out the house the heroine lived in and the 16 year-old is told the truth of her heritage, the author dispatches the OM and allows the H/h to finally set aside their pride and sorrow for an HEA.
This is a charmingly told story – with some casual racism thrown in to remind the reader we’re not in enlightened times – but if you can get past that and the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it-romance, you’ll find a solid vintage family saga with a travelogue thrown in for good measure.
FYI: This is the second story in the compilation volume,Wayaway / The Way Through the Valley / Not Wanted On Voyage on Open Library. I recommend all of those stories for lovers of vintage travelogues.
March 18, 2013
3 1/2 stars This story reminded me a lot of another of Jean S Macleod's stories. She wrote several where the hero and heroine were estranged and met again in Switzerland. While not exactly the same, this one was similar enough to start with to make me wonder if I'd read it before but then the ploted diverged quite markedly.
An easy read with some interesting information about Romani history and a couple of key characters have ties to the Gypsy community.
The setting of a valley in Switzerland with a schloss and chalets was nicely done.
The romance was lowkey but the heroine's emotions were well portrayed. Nice story with a happy ending. Normally I would have more than liked it but the uncertainty about reading it before dragged my enjoyment down a little.
An easy read with some interesting information about Romani history and a couple of key characters have ties to the Gypsy community.
The setting of a valley in Switzerland with a schloss and chalets was nicely done.
The romance was lowkey but the heroine's emotions were well portrayed. Nice story with a happy ending. Normally I would have more than liked it but the uncertainty about reading it before dragged my enjoyment down a little.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews