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An Island Apart
Kirsty MacLennan is the cook at Islay, a respectable guest-house in a Scottish suburb. When her employer retires and the irritable Isabel takes her place, Kirsty decides it is time to leave - but where will she go?
Her dilemma is unexpectedly solved by Islander Ruari MacDonald, one of the guests at Islay, who has come to the city in search of a wife. Accepting his proposal, Kirsty leaves her old life behind and takes up residence on Westisle, an idyllic small island uninhabited except for the MacDonald brothers.
As Kirsty joyfully rediscovers her Hebridean roots and adapts herself to the mysteries of marriage and the challenge of a rigorous new working routine, only one thing stands in her way - the silent, brooding presence of her brother-in-law.
A haunting story of love and loss, An Island Apart is one of Lillian Beckwith's most magical and elegiac evocations of island life.
Her dilemma is unexpectedly solved by Islander Ruari MacDonald, one of the guests at Islay, who has come to the city in search of a wife. Accepting his proposal, Kirsty leaves her old life behind and takes up residence on Westisle, an idyllic small island uninhabited except for the MacDonald brothers.
As Kirsty joyfully rediscovers her Hebridean roots and adapts herself to the mysteries of marriage and the challenge of a rigorous new working routine, only one thing stands in her way - the silent, brooding presence of her brother-in-law.
A haunting story of love and loss, An Island Apart is one of Lillian Beckwith's most magical and elegiac evocations of island life.
166 pages, Hardcover
First published July 27, 1992
About the author
Lillian Beckwith
48 books76 followersLilian Comber wrote fiction and non-fiction for both adults and children under the pseudonym Lillian Beckwith. She is best known for her series of comic novels based on her time living on a croft in the Scottish Hebrides.
Beckwith was born in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, in 1916, where her father ran a grocery shop. The shop provided the background for her memoir About My Father's Business, a child’s eye view of a 1920s family. She moved to the Isle of Skye with her husband in 1942, and began writing fiction after moving to the Isle of Man with her family twenty years later. She also completed a cookery book, Secrets from a Crofter’s Kitchen (Arrow, 1976).
Since her death, Beckwith’s novel A Shine of Rainbows has been made into a film starring Aidan Quinn and Connie Nielsen, which in 2009 won ‘Best Feature’ awards at the Heartland and Chicago Children’s Film Festivals.
Beckwith was born in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, in 1916, where her father ran a grocery shop. The shop provided the background for her memoir About My Father's Business, a child’s eye view of a 1920s family. She moved to the Isle of Skye with her husband in 1942, and began writing fiction after moving to the Isle of Man with her family twenty years later. She also completed a cookery book, Secrets from a Crofter’s Kitchen (Arrow, 1976).
Since her death, Beckwith’s novel A Shine of Rainbows has been made into a film starring Aidan Quinn and Connie Nielsen, which in 2009 won ‘Best Feature’ awards at the Heartland and Chicago Children’s Film Festivals.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
February 16, 2020
Starts interestingly enough, with strange character motivation but enough interest to keep one reading. The last two chapters, however are rushed and disappointing. Does not stick the landing.
May 23, 2019
"Kirsty MacLennan is the cook at Islay, a respectable guest-house in a Scottish suburb. When her employer retires and the irritable Isabel takes her place, Kirsty decides it is time to leave -- but where will she go?
"Her dilemma is unexpectedly solved by islander Ruari MacDonald, one of the guest at Islay, who has come to the city in search of a wife. Accepting his proposal, Kirsty leaves her old life behind and takes up residence on Westisle, an idyllic small island uninhabited except for the MacDonald brothers.
"As Kirsty joyfully rediscovers her Hebridean roots and adapts herself to the mysteries of marriage and the challenge of a rigorous new working routine, only one thing stands in her way -- the silent, brooding presence of her brother-in-law.
"A haunting story of love and loss, An Island Apart is one of Lillian Beckwith's most magical and elegiac evocations of island life."
~~front flap
How many times have you read the trailer for a book that promises "a haunting story of love and loss" and read only find it was just ordinary ... or worse? I promise you: this book is truly a "haunting story of love and loss" with an ending that is completely unexpected. I read it in a single, unable to put it down. I think this book will stick in your mind for a long time to come -- I know it's going to do that in my mind.
"Her dilemma is unexpectedly solved by islander Ruari MacDonald, one of the guest at Islay, who has come to the city in search of a wife. Accepting his proposal, Kirsty leaves her old life behind and takes up residence on Westisle, an idyllic small island uninhabited except for the MacDonald brothers.
"As Kirsty joyfully rediscovers her Hebridean roots and adapts herself to the mysteries of marriage and the challenge of a rigorous new working routine, only one thing stands in her way -- the silent, brooding presence of her brother-in-law.
"A haunting story of love and loss, An Island Apart is one of Lillian Beckwith's most magical and elegiac evocations of island life."
~~front flap
How many times have you read the trailer for a book that promises "a haunting story of love and loss" and read only find it was just ordinary ... or worse? I promise you: this book is truly a "haunting story of love and loss" with an ending that is completely unexpected. I read it in a single, unable to put it down. I think this book will stick in your mind for a long time to come -- I know it's going to do that in my mind.
August 9, 2019
Ruari MacDonald came to the guest house at the right time. He was looking for a wife, and Kirsty MacLennan was that fed up with the guest house's new manager! She was surprised at Ruari's proposal, but going back to the islands sounded like a good idea, and she was a good cook, strong, hard-working, loyal--neither she nor Ruari was romantic, but why not make a match? So Kirsty went back with him to the only croft on Westisle, with the only other inhabitant his brother, also called Ruari. But Kristy was disappointed by her brother-in-law's hostility. There were to be many changes in her life before she found out the reason, and then it was, heartbreakingly, too late. This is a very old-fashioned book, and lacks a lot of Beckwith's usual detail about Hebridean life, but it is nonetheless very touching.
April 23, 2024
A woman marries a man out of convenience. Barely enjoyable sex life. Widowed. Brother-in-law clearly in love with her but probably as equally sexless as his brother. Tragic, impotent ending.
I don't normally fixate on sex and chemistry, but yeesh. I get she falls in love but I just don't understand it.
I don't normally fixate on sex and chemistry, but yeesh. I get she falls in love but I just don't understand it.
September 25, 2025
A sweet story of a woman who has the opportunity to leave the city and return to the islands where she had been a child. She takes easily to the austere life, making herself useful, but can't seem to win over her husband's unfriendly brother.
It isn't until her brother-in-law is near death that he gives her a glimpse of his emotions. Beautiful!
It isn't until her brother-in-law is near death that he gives her a glimpse of his emotions. Beautiful!
August 7, 2018
This short, interesting book moves along at a fast pace. Offers insight into life in the Hebrides islands. I knew nothing about it ahead of time and it was just a sort of simple book and story that told of one woman's life in this time and place.
June 22, 2017
Loved the description of island life and loved the beginning love story. The ending was too tragic for my taste.
February 23, 2026
Lovely story of a lonely woman in the days of the wireless and the family she builds on a tiny western island off Scotland.
December 29, 2012
In keeping with my recent interest of hardship lives in England, I cam across this one by Lillian Beckwith. A young girl with no family is forced into service in a Scottish town in order to support herself. She does her job as household cook for 15 years and then the owner of the boarding house turns the house over to her niece, not near to Kirsty's liking. A middle aged man in search of a wife comes to stay at the boarding house and offers Kirsty a proposal. The proposal takes her back to the land of her childhood, the Hebrides islands. Here she comes into contact with other of her husband's family and her hard work and good spirit ultimately win her over to them. In a surprise ending, the reader wishes life had gone differently for Kirsty.
This book is a good description of life on a small island where everything must be done by hand and day follows day without much change. THe sea, the sky and the way of life all make this a good study of a life that probably no longer exists.
This book is a good description of life on a small island where everything must be done by hand and day follows day without much change. THe sea, the sky and the way of life all make this a good study of a life that probably no longer exists.
September 17, 2022
Kirsty had been sent to the city as a child to live with her aunt, Mrs Ross. She was sent to work at 'ISLAY', a bed-and-breakfast establishment run by a kindly woman whom she looked up to as her mother. When Mrs Ross passed, she left the house to her niece Isabel and her husband to run. Kirsty's life changes for the worse.
When a man came to stay, he offered Kirsty an unusual proposal, which she accepted.
She returns to the remote, wind-swept, and often desolate islands of the New Hebrides. These are difficult places to live in. You can feel Kirsty's connection with the landscape, and her love of the country, cattle, sheep, chickens and the fickle nature of the men who keep her company.
I love the language in Lillian Beckwith’s books.
When a man came to stay, he offered Kirsty an unusual proposal, which she accepted.
She returns to the remote, wind-swept, and often desolate islands of the New Hebrides. These are difficult places to live in. You can feel Kirsty's connection with the landscape, and her love of the country, cattle, sheep, chickens and the fickle nature of the men who keep her company.
I love the language in Lillian Beckwith’s books.
July 16, 2014
Having recently visited Scotland, I could easily imagine the cold, windswept, and beautiful setting of this gentle story. There is little drama to the tale, no excessive violence, sex alluded to most modestly. There is instead life lived really in a poor and rural place. Kristy is a good, hard-working, kind woman who makes the best of the life she has. If you like the novels of Miss Read's England, you will enjoy Beckwith's Scotland. And along the way, you'll learn a little Gaelic, too.
April 21, 2011
this book is an attractive love story and is interesting , and gives an insight to hebridean life and the struggle in that part of the world, which is quite remote.
However this book is an easy read, and i dont strongly recommend it though, it is not a must read book but a more of a fun book to read.
However this book is an easy read, and i dont strongly recommend it though, it is not a must read book but a more of a fun book to read.
August 5, 2013
My friend suggested I read this book, and it was a great recommendation. Once I started it I couldn't put it down.
A quick read, and thoughtful presentation of dealing with loss from relationships as well and dealing with cancer.
A quick read, and thoughtful presentation of dealing with loss from relationships as well and dealing with cancer.
November 20, 2009
Charming. Saw the "big surprise" at the end way ahead of time, but that didn't really detract from the fun of the book.
May 13, 2011
This story is very moving. I couldn't put it down.
September 28, 2011
Interesting story - a bit out of the ordinary and you learn something about the Hebrides!
August 11, 2012
most disappointed, terrible ending
June 5, 2015
An interesting read, gentle and relaxing. Nothing shocking or demanding, sometimes its what you need!
April 17, 2012
Very unusual to me but maybe a common thing in isolated places.
April 12, 2017
I enjoyed this book. The style is similar to Maeve Binchy, therefore if you enjoy reading her books I think you will like this one.
It revolves around the life of Kirsty who escapes her city life when she marries a man she just met and moves to an island.
It revolves around the life of Kirsty who escapes her city life when she marries a man she just met and moves to an island.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews