After joining the Lovat Scouts at the outbreak of the Second World War, Donald Angus Gillies is sent on a mission to the Alps, where he meets Françoise, a young French Canadian SOE agent. The pair immediately form a close bond, but when Françoise is injured and captured, Donald realises his feelings for her are much stronger. After desperate attempts to find her, he has given up all hope. But a posting to Canada leads to some remarkable news, not just about Françoise but also about his own family.
Angus MacDonald is a Scottish businessman and author. He has lived all his life in the West Highlands, serving in the local regiment The Queens Own Highlanders before becoming an entrepreneur with businesses in publishing, education and renewable energy. Now largely retired from corporate life he is the author of the Ardnish series, is the proud owner of The Highland Bookshop and has built The Highland Cinema in Fort William town square.
Surprisingly good, given that often when traveling I pick up something by a local author and have to struggle to get through it. This story was well written and engrossing; I stretched my lunch hour to two to finish it. The Scottish highlands people and countryside are an important character too. Glad I snatched it at the West Highland Museum in Fort William before Chuck and Lou dragged me to lunch at the West Garrison pub. (BTW this would make a lovely movie too. Just sayin, Hollywood!)
This is an easy read, rather predictable and unlike the first Ardnish book, has a happy ending. Though it could easily have gone wrong right up to the last few pages. MacDonald has a nice way of imbedding the family history of Scotland so don’t read this if you don’t like nostalgia and/or Scotland.
Excellent read for me as I have personal knowledge of the area. There are some annoying inconsistencies such as reference to trenches in a WW" story but that did not detract from my overall enjoyment.
Really enjoyed the book, I have also read the first Ardnish book, I know the area well and it brings back all sorts of lovely memories that we can't visit this year because of this terrible virus.
Easy to read and if anything too full of historical facts vying for attention ( no trenches in WW2 however) and detracting from the main story of romance during war and danger. Still an engrossing read, had to find out what happens and try to ignore the sentimentality.
The book felt like a slightly contrived vehicle to describe and relate stories from the west Highlands. It felt too rushed with large periods of time or events described very briefly in passing. However, it is an easy read, informative and interesting.