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The Stormy Petrel
The isolated cottage on the remote Hebridean island of Moila seemed like an ideal away-from-it-all retreat for writer Rose Fenemore, a place where she could work in peace, and where her brother Crispin could walk, fish, and photograph the birds and wildlife. But it is not easy to escape the world and its troubles. Crispin's arrival is delayed, and Rose, on her own in the lonely cottage, has to cope with two very different men who come in from the sea on a night of summer storm.
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First published January 1, 1991
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About the author
Mary Stewart
92 books2,871 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Lady Mary Stewart, born Mary Florence Elinor Rainbow, was a popular English novelist, and taught at the school of John Norquay elementary for 30 to 35 years.
She was one of the most widely read fiction writers of our time. The author of twenty novels, a volume of poetry, and three books for young readers, she was admired for both her contemporary stories of romantic suspense and her historical novels. Born in England, she lived for many years in Scotland, spending time between Edinburgh and the West Highlands.
Her unofficial fan site can be found at http://marystewartnovels.blogspot.com/.
Lady Mary Stewart, born Mary Florence Elinor Rainbow, was a popular English novelist, and taught at the school of John Norquay elementary for 30 to 35 years.
She was one of the most widely read fiction writers of our time. The author of twenty novels, a volume of poetry, and three books for young readers, she was admired for both her contemporary stories of romantic suspense and her historical novels. Born in England, she lived for many years in Scotland, spending time between Edinburgh and the West Highlands.
Her unofficial fan site can be found at http://marystewartnovels.blogspot.com/.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 411 reviews
March 25, 2019
I've been a Mary Stewart fan since a college roommate introduced me to her books, more years ago than I am willing to cop to. But my least favorite of all her books that I've read has always been The Stormy Petrel. I excitedly snagged it at a used bookstore years ago, read it and scratched my head (see my prior short review below), read it again, and finally gave it away to Goodwill in disgust.
Then I joined Goodreads, and some of my best times here have been with the ladies in the Mary Stewart group. After re-reading several Stewart books with them and, for the most part (with some exceptions *coughThunder on the Right*), realizing that for me they've gotten better with age, I decided I had to give The Stormy Petrel book one more chance, and checked it out of the library since I had gotten rid of my own copy. I was torn between hoping that I would be charmed by previously unseen depths and underappreciated lovely writing in this book, and hoping that I wouldn't bitterly regret dumping my old copy.
My revised verdict: Stormy Petrel is somewhat better than my twenty-something self thought, but it's never going to join my favorites bookshelf. It's pretty placid and was only mildly interesting. If I had to describe this book in one word, it would be "understated."
The plot is fairly straightforward: Rose Fenemore, a 27 year old Oxford don, poet and closet SF author, takes a vacation up to the lonely isle of Moila off the west coast of Scotland to try to get some writing done.
Rose's married brother is supposed to join her, but between one thing and another he gets delayed. Things start to get more interesting when one night two separate young men seek shelter from a heavy storm in the cottage Rose has rented. Is something underhanded afoot? Are they in cahoots? Can she trust either of them? Is one of them a potential love interest? (Mary Stewart fans will probably know the answers to these questions.)
It sounds like things could get pretty exciting from here, but nooo - the tone of the book remains pretty relaxed and laidback. Is Rose in peril when she decides to explore the empty mansion near her cottage? Is Rose going to be in mortal danger when she gets caught by the rising tide overnight on a small, deserted island? Is one of the guys going to rob someone and get away with it?
Every time the excitement level in this book starts to ramp up, it all just simmers back down again. Even the love interest! .
I'm not even going to shelve this as "romance," "suspense" or "mystery" because there's so little of any of these in the pages of this book. What it is, is a placid, gentle comfort read if you want to escape to the far reaches of the Scottish Hebrides for a few hours. There are - of course! it's a Mary Stewart book - some lovely descriptions of the countryside, and Stewart has a nice way with words and some understated (there's that word again) humor. But I now feel satisfied that I've gleaned whatever rewards there are to be found in this book, and I don't need to feel guilty about giving it to Goodwill or go try to dig up another copy of it at the bookstore. Whew!
Initial mini-review: I love Mary Stewart novels, but this one was a whole lot of nothing for me. No romance to speak of (boo! That's one of the main reasons I read her books), no real suspense; really, nothing much happened except some nice, detailed descriptions of the cottage and the surrounding geography. I found it completely unmemorable. I read this book several years ago - I even read it twice because I kept thinking a Mary Stewart novel has to be better than that - and literally the only thing I remember now is how bored I was.
Then I joined Goodreads, and some of my best times here have been with the ladies in the Mary Stewart group. After re-reading several Stewart books with them and, for the most part (with some exceptions *coughThunder on the Right*), realizing that for me they've gotten better with age, I decided I had to give The Stormy Petrel book one more chance, and checked it out of the library since I had gotten rid of my own copy. I was torn between hoping that I would be charmed by previously unseen depths and underappreciated lovely writing in this book, and hoping that I wouldn't bitterly regret dumping my old copy.
My revised verdict: Stormy Petrel is somewhat better than my twenty-something self thought, but it's never going to join my favorites bookshelf. It's pretty placid and was only mildly interesting. If I had to describe this book in one word, it would be "understated."
The plot is fairly straightforward: Rose Fenemore, a 27 year old Oxford don, poet and closet SF author, takes a vacation up to the lonely isle of Moila off the west coast of Scotland to try to get some writing done.
Rose's married brother is supposed to join her, but between one thing and another he gets delayed. Things start to get more interesting when one night two separate young men seek shelter from a heavy storm in the cottage Rose has rented. Is something underhanded afoot? Are they in cahoots? Can she trust either of them? Is one of them a potential love interest? (Mary Stewart fans will probably know the answers to these questions.)
It sounds like things could get pretty exciting from here, but nooo - the tone of the book remains pretty relaxed and laidback. Is Rose in peril when she decides to explore the empty mansion near her cottage? Is Rose going to be in mortal danger when she gets caught by the rising tide overnight on a small, deserted island? Is one of the guys going to rob someone and get away with it?
Every time the excitement level in this book starts to ramp up, it all just simmers back down again. Even the love interest! .
I'm not even going to shelve this as "romance," "suspense" or "mystery" because there's so little of any of these in the pages of this book. What it is, is a placid, gentle comfort read if you want to escape to the far reaches of the Scottish Hebrides for a few hours. There are - of course! it's a Mary Stewart book - some lovely descriptions of the countryside, and Stewart has a nice way with words and some understated (there's that word again) humor. But I now feel satisfied that I've gleaned whatever rewards there are to be found in this book, and I don't need to feel guilty about giving it to Goodwill or go try to dig up another copy of it at the bookstore. Whew!
Initial mini-review: I love Mary Stewart novels, but this one was a whole lot of nothing for me. No romance to speak of (boo! That's one of the main reasons I read her books), no real suspense; really, nothing much happened except some nice, detailed descriptions of the cottage and the surrounding geography. I found it completely unmemorable. I read this book several years ago - I even read it twice because I kept thinking a Mary Stewart novel has to be better than that - and literally the only thing I remember now is how bored I was.
July 21, 2018
3.5 stars
This comforting little book isn’t going to knock your socks off, but it is just what I needed to take a breath and slow down a bit. I picked this one up near the end of June, right after final exams ended, marking the completion of yet another school year. The hectic pace of a parent of two busy teenagers had really made me quite frazzled. I’m not certain who was more excited for the wearisome schedule to end – me or the kiddos. I love Mary Stewart’s writing and couldn’t wait to settle in with this novel.
Rose Fenemore, an English professor at Cambridge, comes across an ad in the newspaper: "Ivory tower for long or short let. Isolated cottage on small Hebridean island off the coast of Mull. Ideal for writer or artist in search of peace." College is out for the term, and Rose would like to focus on her own writing. What better place than the Scottish Isles! I don’t write, but I sure wouldn’t mind an escape to my own ivory tower. Both the island and the cottage are certainly quite isolated, so of course a bit of mystery ensues. There are a couple of guys who appear on the scene under cover of storm and darkness. Naturally, Rose, along with the reader, has to figure out whose story to believe – we’ll assume too that one has to be our villain while the other should prove to be our knight in shining armor. I admit I anticipated a bit more of a twist and some nail-biting danger here, but it didn’t quite go to the depths I expected. It fell a little short in the suspense department.
Regardless, I still adore this go-to author. It’s always such a pleasure to share the joy of Stewart’s affinity with the natural world. No matter whether you are reading one of her fantasy novels or a good old-fashioned mystery, you can be sure to get a healthy dose of the landscape or seascape, as well as the plants and animals that happen to inhabit the world she is describing. In fact, that is really the main strength of this particular piece. As I said, the mystery fell by the wayside a bit. Stewart seemed to be focused more on her respect for Mother Nature and for the protection of the environment from the encroachment of tourism and greed. For that I applaud her.
"The silence – for the sounds of birds and sea adds up to silence as beautifully as we ever know it in the noisy world of today – together with the sweetly moving air, and the scents of thyme and bell heather and sun-warmed bracken, all combined to distil something very potent. It was the sort of time and place where one might have expected an idea, the spring of a poem to well up from the quiet and the beauty. But sheer sensation – the warmth of the sun, the scent of the air, the mundane pleasure of tea and biscuits – simple well-being possessed me so that I could only feel, not think."
Ah, yes. Thanks for the much needed respite, Ms. Stewart. I have to round up the stars on this one simply because she is a personal favorite.
This comforting little book isn’t going to knock your socks off, but it is just what I needed to take a breath and slow down a bit. I picked this one up near the end of June, right after final exams ended, marking the completion of yet another school year. The hectic pace of a parent of two busy teenagers had really made me quite frazzled. I’m not certain who was more excited for the wearisome schedule to end – me or the kiddos. I love Mary Stewart’s writing and couldn’t wait to settle in with this novel.
Rose Fenemore, an English professor at Cambridge, comes across an ad in the newspaper: "Ivory tower for long or short let. Isolated cottage on small Hebridean island off the coast of Mull. Ideal for writer or artist in search of peace." College is out for the term, and Rose would like to focus on her own writing. What better place than the Scottish Isles! I don’t write, but I sure wouldn’t mind an escape to my own ivory tower. Both the island and the cottage are certainly quite isolated, so of course a bit of mystery ensues. There are a couple of guys who appear on the scene under cover of storm and darkness. Naturally, Rose, along with the reader, has to figure out whose story to believe – we’ll assume too that one has to be our villain while the other should prove to be our knight in shining armor. I admit I anticipated a bit more of a twist and some nail-biting danger here, but it didn’t quite go to the depths I expected. It fell a little short in the suspense department.
Regardless, I still adore this go-to author. It’s always such a pleasure to share the joy of Stewart’s affinity with the natural world. No matter whether you are reading one of her fantasy novels or a good old-fashioned mystery, you can be sure to get a healthy dose of the landscape or seascape, as well as the plants and animals that happen to inhabit the world she is describing. In fact, that is really the main strength of this particular piece. As I said, the mystery fell by the wayside a bit. Stewart seemed to be focused more on her respect for Mother Nature and for the protection of the environment from the encroachment of tourism and greed. For that I applaud her.
"The silence – for the sounds of birds and sea adds up to silence as beautifully as we ever know it in the noisy world of today – together with the sweetly moving air, and the scents of thyme and bell heather and sun-warmed bracken, all combined to distil something very potent. It was the sort of time and place where one might have expected an idea, the spring of a poem to well up from the quiet and the beauty. But sheer sensation – the warmth of the sun, the scent of the air, the mundane pleasure of tea and biscuits – simple well-being possessed me so that I could only feel, not think."
Ah, yes. Thanks for the much needed respite, Ms. Stewart. I have to round up the stars on this one simply because she is a personal favorite.
March 24, 2019
Some of my favourite authors turned out some real duds at the end of their careers. Georgette Heyer was endlessly writing because of financial difficulties, Agatha Christie is believed to have has Alzheimer's. Did the wonderful Mary Stewart give in to pressure from fans to churn out another book when well into her seventies? If so, I really wish Lady Stewart had resisted, as this book is as dull as dishwater!
Beautiful, evocative descriptions of the fictional Hebridean island of Moila can't make for a lack of plot or any kind of tension. Any time anything seems about to happen, Lady Stewart pulls back. The romance isn't just understated this time - it's non-existent. I had trouble even figuring out where to shelve this one on Goodreads.
I was surprised Rose Cottage was written after this title, as it is a far superior book.
For Stewart completists only.
https://wordpress.com/view/carolshess...
Beautiful, evocative descriptions of the fictional Hebridean island of Moila can't make for a lack of plot or any kind of tension. Any time anything seems about to happen, Lady Stewart pulls back. The romance isn't just understated this time - it's non-existent. I had trouble even figuring out where to shelve this one on Goodreads.
I was surprised Rose Cottage was written after this title, as it is a far superior book.
For Stewart completists only.
https://wordpress.com/view/carolshess...
May 20, 2022
When I think of Mary Stewart, I think of well written and engrossing romance slash mystery novels. This is not that. It had little romance, hardly any mystery and though well written is pretty boring for the most part. It reminded me of an unfunny Barbara Pym novel, with Pym's attention to the minutia of everyday life, but without any of her humor.
The Stormy Petrel is more a travel notebook, than anything else. If you are thinking of taking a vacation to a picturesque island, you might read this, to see what you might encounter.
The Stormy Petrel is more a travel notebook, than anything else. If you are thinking of taking a vacation to a picturesque island, you might read this, to see what you might encounter.
October 31, 2015
I needed two things from this book. One: a print book to keep me from peeking ahead in the book I was reading aloud to my husband. Two: something very easy to focus on since my head is filled with Other Things at the moment.
The book fit both those requirements, so I should not feel disappointed in it, but I do. There was Stewart's usual lush descriptions of plants and landscape, which so often leave me wondering just what this or that type of plant really looks like. I would Google such things normally, but simply did not want to make the effort this time.
I also felt like I had read the basic plot before, even though I could not remember ever reading this particular book. Single woman goes off for a vacation, expects her brother to join her, he is delayed. Meanwhile she explores the island, getting to know two mysterious men who each claim to have ties to the vacant country house. One is dashing and charming but a skilled liar, the other more down to earth, apparently. I just could not get too thrilled by the story, but it may not be the book's fault. As I said, at this point I have tons of Life Details swirling through my pea-brain and am having trouble concentrating on anything other than in-law visits and trip details.
So to be fair to Ms. Stewart, I will re-read this someday when my world is not quite so frantic, and see if my reaction is any different.
The book fit both those requirements, so I should not feel disappointed in it, but I do. There was Stewart's usual lush descriptions of plants and landscape, which so often leave me wondering just what this or that type of plant really looks like. I would Google such things normally, but simply did not want to make the effort this time.
I also felt like I had read the basic plot before, even though I could not remember ever reading this particular book. Single woman goes off for a vacation, expects her brother to join her, he is delayed. Meanwhile she explores the island, getting to know two mysterious men who each claim to have ties to the vacant country house. One is dashing and charming but a skilled liar, the other more down to earth, apparently. I just could not get too thrilled by the story, but it may not be the book's fault. As I said, at this point I have tons of Life Details swirling through my pea-brain and am having trouble concentrating on anything other than in-law visits and trip details.
So to be fair to Ms. Stewart, I will re-read this someday when my world is not quite so frantic, and see if my reaction is any different.
March 11, 2019
One of Stewart's three "Cottage" books (the other two being Rose Cottage and Thornyhold)
Not as strong in her writing as with the other two (am I right in thinking that this was Stewart's last published novel?). A somewhat weak, anticlimatic ending marrs the stronger beginning.
Regardless, a weak Stewart book is still a better reading investment then what dreck passes for romantic suspense today IMO.
Not as strong in her writing as with the other two (am I right in thinking that this was Stewart's last published novel?). A somewhat weak, anticlimatic ending marrs the stronger beginning.
Regardless, a weak Stewart book is still a better reading investment then what dreck passes for romantic suspense today IMO.
March 24, 2019
The Stormy Petrel is one of Mary Stewart's later published novels (1991) and one of the three I think of as her "cottage" books--the other two are Thornyhold (1988) and Rose Cottage (1997). Each of these has a more domestic setting and the stories center around a specific country house; they have a very different feel than the romantic suspense she's most well-known for, but as always the writing is wonderful and the description of place exceptional.
This particular book has the lowest Goodreads rating of all of Stewart's books and I lost count of the number of reader reviews that expressed disappointment, or outright displeasure, because it fell short of a "satisfactory" level of suspense and/or romance. May I point out that just because an author gets pigeon-holed in a particular genre doesn't mean that's all they write. This book is a perfect example. And to drive the point further there's Stewart's Arthurian Saga, also not romantic suspense, but historical fiction AND fantasy.
In fact, all three of Stewart's cottage books have lower ratings (which I'm chalking up to reader misidentification), unfortunate since I think they're all superbly written and absolutely lovely.
The Stormy Petrel is a lovely gentle story with a small mystery, a touch of romance, and a beautiful setting evocatively captured in Stewart's typically descriptive manner. A completely enjoyable novel from an extremely talented, multi-faceted author.
4.5 stars
This particular book has the lowest Goodreads rating of all of Stewart's books and I lost count of the number of reader reviews that expressed disappointment, or outright displeasure, because it fell short of a "satisfactory" level of suspense and/or romance. May I point out that just because an author gets pigeon-holed in a particular genre doesn't mean that's all they write. This book is a perfect example. And to drive the point further there's Stewart's Arthurian Saga, also not romantic suspense, but historical fiction AND fantasy.
In fact, all three of Stewart's cottage books have lower ratings (which I'm chalking up to reader misidentification), unfortunate since I think they're all superbly written and absolutely lovely.
The Stormy Petrel is a lovely gentle story with a small mystery, a touch of romance, and a beautiful setting evocatively captured in Stewart's typically descriptive manner. A completely enjoyable novel from an extremely talented, multi-faceted author.
4.5 stars
April 23, 2020
A short and easy read.
April 16, 2024
2024 Review
I must have had REALLY low expectations if I thought this book was borderline 5 stars.
Still fun and atmospheric, still love the 'older' heroine and lack of rush in the romance, but slow. Oh-so-slow.
2021 Review
I approached this one cautiously after my recent run-in with Thunder on the Right. I found Thunder less than stellar, and with Stormy Petrel starring even fewer reviews, assumed I would find it similarly disappointing. But I didn't. I almost wonder if I should give it five stars. Blame my incredibly low expectations. Or blame the injudicious coffee consumption that kept me up (and reading) at 3 am when I'm less discerning. Or blame my weakness for an academic heroine. I really, truly enjoyed this one.
Though it was weird reading a Stewart novel from the early '90s.
The story follows Dr. Rose Fenemore, a Cambridge professor seeking a quiet vacation where she can write poetry and bird-watch. When she finds a cottage for rent on a Scottish island, she jumps at it. But even on an island she can't get the quiet she seeks, as two men show up at her door in the middle of the night, both telling highly improbable stories. Who is she to trust?
In many ways, Stormy Petrel reminded me of This Rough Magic. You've got the initial mystery about who the romantic lead will be (quickly resolved), the lush description of beaches, and the heroine intent on enjoying her vacation. Rose is an older heroine, though, and more cool-headed than many Stewart heroines. She feels less at loose ends, or like she needs to prove herself.
I actually also really liked the way the romance plays out. It isn't the usual whirlwind affair with the couple all but engaged after knowing one anther two days. It keeps things slow and, accordingly, more believable.
This book also contains several lovely lines about the writing process. They felt too realistic to be throw away lines--I would not be at all surprised to learn Stewart was describing her own writing process while ascribing them to her character.
The greatest weakness of this book is the plot. Things fall together too neatly. Once you know their basic personalities, characters behave exactly as you would expect. The villain acts with almost disheartening courtesy. And the inevitable scene I look for from Stewart with woman-against-the-elements or woman-against-the-villain just doesn't exist. The closest equivalent is an internal debate Rose has with herself when she decides whether to turn the villain over to the police. I did really like that moment. But it passes fast and things continue on their smooth, merry little way.
Overall, I'd say a lush, beautifully written book falling just shy of what I've come to expect from a Stewart novel. But I really like Rose as a heroine. I'll definitely be returning to this one.
I must have had REALLY low expectations if I thought this book was borderline 5 stars.
Still fun and atmospheric, still love the 'older' heroine and lack of rush in the romance, but slow. Oh-so-slow.
2021 Review
I approached this one cautiously after my recent run-in with Thunder on the Right. I found Thunder less than stellar, and with Stormy Petrel starring even fewer reviews, assumed I would find it similarly disappointing. But I didn't. I almost wonder if I should give it five stars. Blame my incredibly low expectations. Or blame the injudicious coffee consumption that kept me up (and reading) at 3 am when I'm less discerning. Or blame my weakness for an academic heroine. I really, truly enjoyed this one.
Though it was weird reading a Stewart novel from the early '90s.
The story follows Dr. Rose Fenemore, a Cambridge professor seeking a quiet vacation where she can write poetry and bird-watch. When she finds a cottage for rent on a Scottish island, she jumps at it. But even on an island she can't get the quiet she seeks, as two men show up at her door in the middle of the night, both telling highly improbable stories. Who is she to trust?
In many ways, Stormy Petrel reminded me of This Rough Magic. You've got the initial mystery about who the romantic lead will be (quickly resolved), the lush description of beaches, and the heroine intent on enjoying her vacation. Rose is an older heroine, though, and more cool-headed than many Stewart heroines. She feels less at loose ends, or like she needs to prove herself.
I actually also really liked the way the romance plays out. It isn't the usual whirlwind affair with the couple all but engaged after knowing one anther two days. It keeps things slow and, accordingly, more believable.
This book also contains several lovely lines about the writing process. They felt too realistic to be throw away lines--I would not be at all surprised to learn Stewart was describing her own writing process while ascribing them to her character.
The greatest weakness of this book is the plot. Things fall together too neatly. Once you know their basic personalities, characters behave exactly as you would expect. The villain acts with almost disheartening courtesy. And the inevitable scene I look for from Stewart with woman-against-the-elements or woman-against-the-villain just doesn't exist. The closest equivalent is an internal debate Rose has with herself when she decides whether to turn the villain over to the police. I did really like that moment. But it passes fast and things continue on their smooth, merry little way.
Overall, I'd say a lush, beautifully written book falling just shy of what I've come to expect from a Stewart novel. But I really like Rose as a heroine. I'll definitely be returning to this one.
March 5, 2022
Charming and so easy to read I flew through it! I have never read a Mary Stewart but acquired a good number of her books over the years. When I was going through a decluttering phase I decided I wasn’t going to read them and they were taking up space so I got rid of them all (apart I think for one) and now I really wish I hadn’t. She has a really lovely and nostalgic way of writing and I was surprised with how enjoyable the story itself was. I was also fans of the main characters which was a bonus! I’ve re-ordered my next one of hers and hope it arrives soon!
June 29, 2018
3.5 Stars, rounded up.
If I did not love Mary Stewart’s style and descriptive abilities so much, perhaps The Stormy Petrel would have been a major disappointment for me. Ah, but I do love those things, so I find that I enjoyed this book despite its weak ending and under-developed characters.
Silence? The wash of waves on the pebbled beach, the crying and calling of the wheeling gulls, the silver chain of sound from a lark above the cliff-top, and a final coda, the distant breathy note of the ferry’s siren as she drew away towards the west. The last link gone. Solitude. Complete and unassailable solitude.
I feel as if I have just been put down for vacation, escaped the noise and clatter and found a haven of birds and sunshine.
Another plus in this novel, for me, is Mary Stewart’s reflections on what it is to create a book or poem.
From experience, I knew what to do. Write. Write anything. Bad sentences, meaningless sentences, anything to get the mind fixed again to that sheet of paper and oblivious of the “real” world. Write until the words begin to make sense, the cogs mesh, the wheels start to turn, the creaking movement quickens and becomes a smooth, oiled run, and then, with luck, exhaustion will be forgotten, and the real writing will begin.
All her hallmark assets are present here, they just don’t come together in the same way they did in her earlier books. I think one must consider that she is seventy-five writing this one, while her most successful novels were written when she was much younger and probably felt a stronger relationship to the young women she was portraying.
I wonder if I read this book back in 1991 when it was released. I was an avid fan. I find it hard to believe that I just passed it by. I can imagine that I would have been disappointed, if I did read it then, and subsequently forgotten it entirely. I’m a kinder reader now. I am older myself. I revel in her ability to transport me to the Hebrides and show me a broch and a petrel. I don’t think we have anyone writing today who can soothe and comfort as she did. Her writing is stylish and intelligent--I guess I miss her.
In the words of John Donne's Song:
Go and catch a falling star,
Get with child a mandrake root,
Tell me where all past years are,
Or who cleft the devil's foot,
Teach me to hear mermaids singing,
Or to keep off envy's stinging,
And find
What wind
Serves to advance an honest mind.
I believe Mary Stewart helps us to hear the song.
If I did not love Mary Stewart’s style and descriptive abilities so much, perhaps The Stormy Petrel would have been a major disappointment for me. Ah, but I do love those things, so I find that I enjoyed this book despite its weak ending and under-developed characters.
Silence? The wash of waves on the pebbled beach, the crying and calling of the wheeling gulls, the silver chain of sound from a lark above the cliff-top, and a final coda, the distant breathy note of the ferry’s siren as she drew away towards the west. The last link gone. Solitude. Complete and unassailable solitude.
I feel as if I have just been put down for vacation, escaped the noise and clatter and found a haven of birds and sunshine.
Another plus in this novel, for me, is Mary Stewart’s reflections on what it is to create a book or poem.
From experience, I knew what to do. Write. Write anything. Bad sentences, meaningless sentences, anything to get the mind fixed again to that sheet of paper and oblivious of the “real” world. Write until the words begin to make sense, the cogs mesh, the wheels start to turn, the creaking movement quickens and becomes a smooth, oiled run, and then, with luck, exhaustion will be forgotten, and the real writing will begin.
All her hallmark assets are present here, they just don’t come together in the same way they did in her earlier books. I think one must consider that she is seventy-five writing this one, while her most successful novels were written when she was much younger and probably felt a stronger relationship to the young women she was portraying.
I wonder if I read this book back in 1991 when it was released. I was an avid fan. I find it hard to believe that I just passed it by. I can imagine that I would have been disappointed, if I did read it then, and subsequently forgotten it entirely. I’m a kinder reader now. I am older myself. I revel in her ability to transport me to the Hebrides and show me a broch and a petrel. I don’t think we have anyone writing today who can soothe and comfort as she did. Her writing is stylish and intelligent--I guess I miss her.
In the words of John Donne's Song:
Go and catch a falling star,
Get with child a mandrake root,
Tell me where all past years are,
Or who cleft the devil's foot,
Teach me to hear mermaids singing,
Or to keep off envy's stinging,
And find
What wind
Serves to advance an honest mind.
I believe Mary Stewart helps us to hear the song.
January 18, 2022
Mary Stewart's The Stormy Petrel isn't her usual mystery-cum-romance, as the novel isn't much of a mystery. It's more of a soupcon of romance, but I liked it well enough.
September 24, 2021
I'd forgotten how much I loved Mary Stewart. I've read 3 or 4 of hers many years ago, beginning with Madam, Can You Talk.. I think I read the Merlin series also.
This is a light read with just a little suspense and just a little romance. Just what I needed after 2020. Great descriptions and poetic lines. And if you love birds (or seals) you will love this book. Set in Scotland. Oh and the main character is a writer and poet so that gives it the 5th star.
Would love to hear it in an eBook for the accents.
Recommended.
This is a light read with just a little suspense and just a little romance. Just what I needed after 2020. Great descriptions and poetic lines. And if you love birds (or seals) you will love this book. Set in Scotland. Oh and the main character is a writer and poet so that gives it the 5th star.
Would love to hear it in an eBook for the accents.
Recommended.
October 1, 2013
No one creates a story like Mary Stewart! Her location descriptions are so detailed that you feel as if you are there. This was the strong point of this story for me. A house on a desolate island with few citizens amidst birds, seals, rocks, waves, wind, flowers, etc. I really got the sense of the place, the location, smells and terrain. Wonderful!
The story itself was interesting, though not really a gothic. It was more of a light mystery and many reviewers said that this type of story is not her usual fare. True, but I look upon this as more of a 'it-could-happen-in-real-life' type of story, not one written with some far-fetched elements to enhance the entertainment for the reader.
I enjoyed the characters, though was disappointed that the bad guy was the bad guy! I think he had a more interesting personality than the 'good guy', but overall, everyone in the story was well-written.
No surprises in the story, as each new development was revealed in real time but that's OK. It felt like a curl up on the sofa type of read and that is perfect in itself.
Buddy read for Madam, want to talk about author Mary Stewart
The story itself was interesting, though not really a gothic. It was more of a light mystery and many reviewers said that this type of story is not her usual fare. True, but I look upon this as more of a 'it-could-happen-in-real-life' type of story, not one written with some far-fetched elements to enhance the entertainment for the reader.
I enjoyed the characters, though was disappointed that the bad guy was the bad guy! I think he had a more interesting personality than the 'good guy', but overall, everyone in the story was well-written.
No surprises in the story, as each new development was revealed in real time but that's OK. It felt like a curl up on the sofa type of read and that is perfect in itself.
Buddy read for Madam, want to talk about author Mary Stewart
June 29, 2018
Rose Fenemore is an English Professor at Cambridge University and a writer. When she sees an advertisement for a lovely cottage available to rent listed as an ivory tower, she plans to go there for a writing retreat for the Summer. Her brother, a Doctor named Crispin plans to join her as he hears that Seal Island is a bird watcher's paradise. Will Rose get her chance to finally get her writing done during her holiday or is there something dangerous lurking around the corner? Read on and find out for yourself.
This was my second read by Mary Stewart and a pretty good one at that. This was also a buddy read I participated in at the Reading for Pleasure book club on Goodreads. Feel free to check out our discussion here
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
If you are a fan of Mary Stewart, I recommend you check this book out with The Little Broomstick as they are both pretty good reads, thanks!
This was my second read by Mary Stewart and a pretty good one at that. This was also a buddy read I participated in at the Reading for Pleasure book club on Goodreads. Feel free to check out our discussion here
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
If you are a fan of Mary Stewart, I recommend you check this book out with The Little Broomstick as they are both pretty good reads, thanks!
August 31, 2020
I absolutely adore Mary Stewart. Really, truly adore her and most of her books have been read many, many times and always enjoyed every time. However, this one I had only read once years ago and never again. I couldn’t remember why until I read it for a group read and then remembered. It just does not stand up to her other romantic thrillers (This Rough Magic, My Brother Michael et al). The characters don’t capture my imagination in the same way, the plotting is negligible and even the setting fails to come as alive as usual. Still very well written of course. Mary Stewart could not have produced a bad sentence if she had tried!
January 14, 2024
This is an excellent book for those who love birds. Most of us will probably never get to see a stormy Petrel which lives off the coast of Scotland but they mostly live at sea. Mary Stewart writes the most wonderful books so I try to read them all.
October 9, 2018
A gentle story with a little mystery and a little romance. Atmospheric. I enjoyed it.
October 25, 2017
Reread finished October 22, 2017.
February 29, 2012 review: This made me remember why I once loved romantic suspense but have changed my feelings about more modern writings.
A gentle, suspenseful story respectful of nature and the slow and easy pace of a blossoming love interest versus blatant lust. Mary Stewart first inspired me to try my hand at writing. Perhaps I'm a bit prudish, but romances were once about the feelings and freshness of meeting someone, wondering, testing the waters, savoring each step of the process of getting to know someone.
I'm once again impressed with the author's ability to paint with words, and I find refreshing her ability to tell an intriguing story without rushing to get my adrenaline moving or using cheap thrills as page turners.
Stewart soft peddles her suspense and her romance, in this book. But that doesn't mean they're not worth the read. Her characters are people I can relate to, the events are believable, the setting makes me want to visit this fictitious Hebridean isle and hear mermaids in the song of the seals.
February 29, 2012 review: This made me remember why I once loved romantic suspense but have changed my feelings about more modern writings.
A gentle, suspenseful story respectful of nature and the slow and easy pace of a blossoming love interest versus blatant lust. Mary Stewart first inspired me to try my hand at writing. Perhaps I'm a bit prudish, but romances were once about the feelings and freshness of meeting someone, wondering, testing the waters, savoring each step of the process of getting to know someone.
I'm once again impressed with the author's ability to paint with words, and I find refreshing her ability to tell an intriguing story without rushing to get my adrenaline moving or using cheap thrills as page turners.
Stewart soft peddles her suspense and her romance, in this book. But that doesn't mean they're not worth the read. Her characters are people I can relate to, the events are believable, the setting makes me want to visit this fictitious Hebridean isle and hear mermaids in the song of the seals.
July 13, 2014
I fell in love with a Scottish island when I was eight years old.
Looking back it was a mad thing for my parents to do, travelling so far across country with two young children, but that wanted to see Scotland, and they had been guided to a particular place by a very good friend. So if it was madness it was the very best kind of madness, and if I had to live outside Cornwall I should still choose to live on a Scottish Island.
That’s what drew me to ‘Stormy Petrel, even though I knew it was one of Mary Stewart’s later novels and not considered to be her best work; it was set on a fictional Scottish island, and island very close to and very like mine.
The story opened in a Cambridge where Rose, who write poetry for love and science fiction for money, was a tutor of English. A newspaper advertisement caught her eye: an advertisement for cottage on the Hebridean island of Moila. It sounded perfect. Rose could have the time and space to write and her doctor brother, a keen wildlife photographer, would love to take pictures of the rare birds that nested on the island.
Rose travelled north before her brother, and she found the island and the cottage to be everything she hoped them to be.
When Rose wakes in the night to the sounds of someone moving about downstairs she assumes that her brother has arrived. But he hasn’t, and another man is making tea in the kitchen. Both are startled, but the intruder is quick to reassure Rose, explaining that he had lived there with foster parents, he had fallen out of touch, he had no idea that they had moved away. And then another man arrived. His explanation was that he was a visiting geologist, he had been camping, and when the storm carried his tent away he had come to look for shelter where he saw lights.
The two men claimed not to have met, but there was something in their manners towards each other that told rose that they had, that something was amiss. Rose made a sensible decision: she withdrew to her room, leaving the pair to make the best of things downstairs.
When Rose woke again the storm and her house-guests had gone. She thought that was the end of things, but of course it was only the beginning ….
I found a lot to like in ‘Stormy Petrel’.
Moila is so beautifully and lovingly described that I was transported, and I didn’t doubt for one second that it was inspired by a place that Mary Stewart knew and loved.
”It is not a large island, perhaps nine miles by five, with formidable cliffs to the north-west that face the weather like the prow of a ship. From the steep sheep-bitten turf at the head of these cliffs the land slopes gently down towards a glen where the island’s only sizeable river runs seawards out of a loch cupped in a shallow basin among low hills. Presumably the loch – lochan, rather, for it is not large – is fed by springs eternally replenished by the rain, for nothing flows into it except small burns seeping through rush and bog myrtle, which spread after storms into sodden quagmires of moss. But the outflow is perennially full, white water pouring down to where the moor cleaves open and lets it fall to the sea.”
I loved that Rose came to love her island as I loved mine, that she appreciated that things that made it so special. And I was pleased that she proved herself to be sensible, capable and practical.
I was pleased that the romance was low-key, and that the resolution of the story was gentle, with future possibilities simply suggested.
I was less pleased that the suspense was low-key, that it became clear quickly who was the hero and who was the villain, that the villain was not so very wicked, and that there was very little mystery to be resolved or danger to be faced.
And so I loved my trip to Moila, I loved the company, but the story - it needed something more.
Looking back it was a mad thing for my parents to do, travelling so far across country with two young children, but that wanted to see Scotland, and they had been guided to a particular place by a very good friend. So if it was madness it was the very best kind of madness, and if I had to live outside Cornwall I should still choose to live on a Scottish Island.
That’s what drew me to ‘Stormy Petrel, even though I knew it was one of Mary Stewart’s later novels and not considered to be her best work; it was set on a fictional Scottish island, and island very close to and very like mine.
The story opened in a Cambridge where Rose, who write poetry for love and science fiction for money, was a tutor of English. A newspaper advertisement caught her eye: an advertisement for cottage on the Hebridean island of Moila. It sounded perfect. Rose could have the time and space to write and her doctor brother, a keen wildlife photographer, would love to take pictures of the rare birds that nested on the island.
Rose travelled north before her brother, and she found the island and the cottage to be everything she hoped them to be.
When Rose wakes in the night to the sounds of someone moving about downstairs she assumes that her brother has arrived. But he hasn’t, and another man is making tea in the kitchen. Both are startled, but the intruder is quick to reassure Rose, explaining that he had lived there with foster parents, he had fallen out of touch, he had no idea that they had moved away. And then another man arrived. His explanation was that he was a visiting geologist, he had been camping, and when the storm carried his tent away he had come to look for shelter where he saw lights.
The two men claimed not to have met, but there was something in their manners towards each other that told rose that they had, that something was amiss. Rose made a sensible decision: she withdrew to her room, leaving the pair to make the best of things downstairs.
When Rose woke again the storm and her house-guests had gone. She thought that was the end of things, but of course it was only the beginning ….
I found a lot to like in ‘Stormy Petrel’.
Moila is so beautifully and lovingly described that I was transported, and I didn’t doubt for one second that it was inspired by a place that Mary Stewart knew and loved.
”It is not a large island, perhaps nine miles by five, with formidable cliffs to the north-west that face the weather like the prow of a ship. From the steep sheep-bitten turf at the head of these cliffs the land slopes gently down towards a glen where the island’s only sizeable river runs seawards out of a loch cupped in a shallow basin among low hills. Presumably the loch – lochan, rather, for it is not large – is fed by springs eternally replenished by the rain, for nothing flows into it except small burns seeping through rush and bog myrtle, which spread after storms into sodden quagmires of moss. But the outflow is perennially full, white water pouring down to where the moor cleaves open and lets it fall to the sea.”
I loved that Rose came to love her island as I loved mine, that she appreciated that things that made it so special. And I was pleased that she proved herself to be sensible, capable and practical.
I was pleased that the romance was low-key, and that the resolution of the story was gentle, with future possibilities simply suggested.
I was less pleased that the suspense was low-key, that it became clear quickly who was the hero and who was the villain, that the villain was not so very wicked, and that there was very little mystery to be resolved or danger to be faced.
And so I loved my trip to Moila, I loved the company, but the story - it needed something more.
flipped-to-the-end
March 24, 2022I liked the main character more than the previous outing, but had trouble with this one because it does what a lot of books of this era does, and sets up two men in opposition with each other, but you know inevitably which one of them is going to fail because he's . That's something I used to read over, but now tends to annoy me.
December 10, 2023
Mary Stewart's second to last book, and while beautifully written as always, there's not much there in terms of suspense or romance. As always, reading her books transports you to a lyrical travelogue, in this case an imaginary version of one of the Hebrides.
Mary Stewart is one of the best and inspired generations of writers. Elizabeth Peters paid homage to Stewart's romantic suspense in so many books.
Best Mary Stewart's are This Rough Magic, My Brother Michael, and Nine Coaches Waiting.
Mary Stewart is one of the best and inspired generations of writers. Elizabeth Peters paid homage to Stewart's romantic suspense in so many books.
Best Mary Stewart's are This Rough Magic, My Brother Michael, and Nine Coaches Waiting.
July 13, 2022
Read on a train ride up to Scotland. I got Daphne du Maurier vibes from this short novel about a holiday Dr Rose Fenemore, an English tutor at Cambridge, takes to Moila, a (fictional) small island off of Mull in the Inner Hebrides. It’s a writing retreat for her: she’s working on a book of poetry, but also on the science fiction she publishes under a pseudonym. Waiting for her brother to join her, she gets caught up in mild intrigue when two mysterious men enter her holiday cottage late one stormy night. Each has a good excuse cooked up, but who can she trust? I enjoyed the details of the setting but found the plot thin, predictable and slightly silly (“I may be a dish, but I am also a don”). This feels like it’s from the 1950s, but was actually published in 1991. I might try another of Stewart’s
July 1, 2018
If you're a Mary Stewart fan, you already know that seascapes and heroines plucky enough to do a little sleuthing are standard territory. I enjoyed reading this cozy little mystery very much. In fact, it's just what I needed this past week. Quiet reading time. This offering is pure escapism and while it does not offer pulse-quickening suspense, Stewart effortlessly transported me to the Scottish Hebrides. More than once, I found myself happily daydreaming about seals, mermaids, and beautiful ruins. Three and a half stars rounded up to four.
Note to self: Before visiting the islands, buy plenty of midge repellent.
Note to self: Before visiting the islands, buy plenty of midge repellent.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 29, 2022
Once again Mary Stewart has placed her heroine, an attractive and educated single woman, in a position of peril while on holiday. And once again there's some light romance, a mystery, some sightseeing, and a storm.
I know what I likes, and I likes what I gets!
I know what I likes, and I likes what I gets!
July 29, 2021
Mary Stewart is one of my favorite authors. I'm inspired by her seemingly effortless, lyrical writing, the way she opens her main characters' hearts to the reader, and the indefinable something--the magic--she instills in her stories. Reading Mary Stewart books made me want to gather up my words and tell a story myself.
During my teen years, I read every one of her books--more than once. My favorites are Nine Coaches Waiting, Moon Spinners, and Touch Not the Cat. (If you've never read her, start with those.) But there's something to love in each Stewart novel.
In this audiobook version of The Stormy Petrel, the narrator perfectly interprets all the charm of Stewart's writing. The novel focuses on a literature professor named Rose on a school break, who yearns for an "ivory tower," where she can hide away from the world and work on the manuscript of her latest novel. Rose finds this solitude on a remote Scottish island. The mystery aspect of this plot is "much ado about nothing." But in the way of all good women's fiction, Rose finds a bit of adventure and a touch of romance in this beautiful setting.
One night a storm delivers, not one, but two eligible men to Rose's cottage. (So no effort of her own needed.) The men in the story (her brother & these fellows) know when to pay her attention and when to leave her alone. (An introvert's dream.) Rose enjoys nature, makes a few friends (who also don't make pests of themselves), works through her writer's block, makes progress on her novel, helps solve a mystery, eats well (yet keeps her slim figure), and ends vacation with a new beau.
So since I am a literature teacher on summer break & this is pretty much my perfect vacation fantasy, I am giving this story 4 BIG STARS!!! But you might want to take that with a grain of salt 😉
During my teen years, I read every one of her books--more than once. My favorites are Nine Coaches Waiting, Moon Spinners, and Touch Not the Cat. (If you've never read her, start with those.) But there's something to love in each Stewart novel.
In this audiobook version of The Stormy Petrel, the narrator perfectly interprets all the charm of Stewart's writing. The novel focuses on a literature professor named Rose on a school break, who yearns for an "ivory tower," where she can hide away from the world and work on the manuscript of her latest novel. Rose finds this solitude on a remote Scottish island. The mystery aspect of this plot is "much ado about nothing." But in the way of all good women's fiction, Rose finds a bit of adventure and a touch of romance in this beautiful setting.
One night a storm delivers, not one, but two eligible men to Rose's cottage. (So no effort of her own needed.) The men in the story (her brother & these fellows) know when to pay her attention and when to leave her alone. (An introvert's dream.) Rose enjoys nature, makes a few friends (who also don't make pests of themselves), works through her writer's block, makes progress on her novel, helps solve a mystery, eats well (yet keeps her slim figure), and ends vacation with a new beau.
So since I am a literature teacher on summer break & this is pretty much my perfect vacation fantasy, I am giving this story 4 BIG STARS!!! But you might want to take that with a grain of salt 😉
July 5, 2011
Not the finest of Mary Stewart's romantic suspense novels, but I liked it a lot for several reasons. The first being the heroine ended up with (or it implied she ended up with) the guy I liked better. I always complain to my sister that whenever there are two men in a Mary Stewart novel I always like the one who ends up being the guy she doesn't fall in love with or, on one occasion, the man who ends up being the villain.
The second reason is the main character was a writer so I identified with her more than I usually do with Stewart's heroines.
I loved several of the passages regarding writing, especially this one on inspiration:
"I sat at the kitchen table, staring at the blind white blankness in front of me, and slowly, like a clear spring welling up from the common earth, the poem rose and spread and filled me, unstoppable as flood water, technique unknotting even as it ran, like snags rolled away on the flood. When it comes, it is worth everything in the world. There is too much easy talk about "inspiration," but at such times one sees it exactly for what it is, a breathing in of all experience, all apprehension of beauty, all love. As a fire needs air to make it burn, so a poem needs to be fuelled by each one of these. And the greatest of these is love."
The last reason is, well, it's Mary Stewart! Her settings are always so enchanting; I wish I could jump into her novels. Her books and the memories I associate with them make me happy.
The second reason is the main character was a writer so I identified with her more than I usually do with Stewart's heroines.
I loved several of the passages regarding writing, especially this one on inspiration:
"I sat at the kitchen table, staring at the blind white blankness in front of me, and slowly, like a clear spring welling up from the common earth, the poem rose and spread and filled me, unstoppable as flood water, technique unknotting even as it ran, like snags rolled away on the flood. When it comes, it is worth everything in the world. There is too much easy talk about "inspiration," but at such times one sees it exactly for what it is, a breathing in of all experience, all apprehension of beauty, all love. As a fire needs air to make it burn, so a poem needs to be fuelled by each one of these. And the greatest of these is love."
The last reason is, well, it's Mary Stewart! Her settings are always so enchanting; I wish I could jump into her novels. Her books and the memories I associate with them make me happy.
August 6, 2019
3.5 stars. Somehow I'd been under the impression that this was a short story, but it wasn't, though it's not quite a full novel either. It's a little different from Stewart's usual—a more leisurely pace, the stakes not so high and the perils not quite as perilous; but still an enjoyable read. One of my favorite things about it is that the narrator is a writer, so we get some of what I'm sure must be Stewart's own musings on a few aspects of creativity and a writer's life.
January 12, 2018
What was that? Was it supposed to be a mystery? A romance? A field guide on the roosting habit of birds native to the Hebridean islands? It failed on all accounts. I should have given up at the 60% point when NOTHING had happened. Lame. My LEAST favorite Mary Stewart book.
December 12, 2023
The Stormy Petrel is a quick, comfy read, not nearly as gripping as Mary Stewart’s early romantic thrillers but enjoying some of the same attributes—an intelligent, independent heroine in her twenties, a beautiful locale lushly described, competing romantic interests (one of whom is the villain). There are moments of mild danger but nothing as intense as in her early books. And the potential for drama never fully materializes: I kept seeing potential crises that came to nothing, or almost nothing. The ending is quick to the point of haste, and I felt the author’s fatigue. Still, the characters are pleasant to spend time with and Stewart’s gift for lyrical descriptions of nature is still strong.
Rose Fenemore is an English literature don who heads off to a remote Scottish island for a holiday. She is supposed to be vacationing with her brother but he is delayed, so she settles into a small cottage by the sea without nervousness. But come a dark and stormy night, not one but two soaking-wet young men turn up on her doorstep. She’s a bit dismayed, especially when one appears to have a gun and the other one blatantly lies to her, but she carries off the moment with aplomb.
Mary Stewart adored Scotland, and here she dwells on the beauties of the island in loving detail that brought the scenery alive in my mind. There is a bit of mystery, a bit of not-very-threatening criminal behavior, a touch of suspense, and some low-key romance to carry the reader along. The book was published in 1991 but carries a 1960s sensibility; one feels that at a certain point in her life Stewart ceased to keep up with trends. I laughed out loud when one young woman cries out “Drugs!” in tones of horror; even in the sixties that would have been an eye-roll moment.
I was feeling stressed and cranky and this book calmed and soothed me, giving me a happy twenty-four hours. That’s no slight gift.
Rose Fenemore is an English literature don who heads off to a remote Scottish island for a holiday. She is supposed to be vacationing with her brother but he is delayed, so she settles into a small cottage by the sea without nervousness. But come a dark and stormy night, not one but two soaking-wet young men turn up on her doorstep. She’s a bit dismayed, especially when one appears to have a gun and the other one blatantly lies to her, but she carries off the moment with aplomb.
Mary Stewart adored Scotland, and here she dwells on the beauties of the island in loving detail that brought the scenery alive in my mind. There is a bit of mystery, a bit of not-very-threatening criminal behavior, a touch of suspense, and some low-key romance to carry the reader along. The book was published in 1991 but carries a 1960s sensibility; one feels that at a certain point in her life Stewart ceased to keep up with trends. I laughed out loud when one young woman cries out “Drugs!” in tones of horror; even in the sixties that would have been an eye-roll moment.
I was feeling stressed and cranky and this book calmed and soothed me, giving me a happy twenty-four hours. That’s no slight gift.
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