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Apricot Sky
"I'm haunted by an awful dread," said Raine. "It was a wedding Mysie once went to. The bridegroom never turned up and the bride swooned at the altar."
"Have you practised swooning?"
It's 1948 in the Scottish Highlands, with postwar austerity and rationing in full effect, but Mr and Mrs MacAlvey and their family and friends are too irrepressibly cheerful to let it get them down. There's Raine, newly engaged to the brother of a local farmer, and Cleo, just back from three years in the States, along with their brother James, married to neurotic Trina, who smothers their two oversheltered children.
There are also three MacAlvey grandchildren, orphaned in the war, whose hilarious mishaps keep everyone on their toes. There are wedding preparations, visits from friends, an adventurous hike, and frustrated romance. But really the plot of the novel is, simply, life, as lived by irresistible characters with humour, optimism, and affection.
"Have you practised swooning?"
It's 1948 in the Scottish Highlands, with postwar austerity and rationing in full effect, but Mr and Mrs MacAlvey and their family and friends are too irrepressibly cheerful to let it get them down. There's Raine, newly engaged to the brother of a local farmer, and Cleo, just back from three years in the States, along with their brother James, married to neurotic Trina, who smothers their two oversheltered children.
There are also three MacAlvey grandchildren, orphaned in the war, whose hilarious mishaps keep everyone on their toes. There are wedding preparations, visits from friends, an adventurous hike, and frustrated romance. But really the plot of the novel is, simply, life, as lived by irresistible characters with humour, optimism, and affection.
250 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1952
42 people are currently reading
523 people want to read
About the author
Ruby Ferguson
46 books35 followersRuby Constance Annie Ashby Ferguson
aka
Ruby Ferguson and R.C. Ashby
aka
Ruby Ferguson and R.C. Ashby
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
April 4, 2022
Absolutely lovely writing, dry humor, several delightful characters, an old-fashioned novel one can escape into whenever time permits and wander contentedly in Mrs. MacAlvey’s lush summer garden, or bake in the sun with a warm rock under your back with the grandchildren, blissfully exploring the summer delights of their grandparents’ home in the Scottish Highlands.
The book opens in 1948 with Mrs. M enjoying the beautiful, magical view of the ocean and distant islands - we’re told she often does, and is so taken with it, she often drops a stitch in her knitting. She loves her home, her lush, three-acre garden (which she made herself over the years, with the help of an unenthusiastic assistant from the village), and her big family.
There are several to keep track of, but you figure out who’s who - Cleo, the older daughter, is returning home from working in America for years, Raine, the next, has just become engaged to an easygoing, charming neighbor, Ian. He’s younger brother to the laird, Neil - a handsome, quiet, serious man who loves his brother, his land, and his home - the two live in their old house trying to farm the hard Highlands soil and make the estate self-sustaining. Cleo has been in love with Neil for as long as she can remember, and several wonderful, relatable scenes revolve around her trying desperately to engage the taciturn laird in conversation (who among us hasn’t suffered the pangs of a secret crush?) Part of me thought this a bit odd, for a young woman in her mid to late 20s who has been away from home working in the states for a few years, but it works here, Given the era, I really don’t think it’s a spoiler, but some readers want to go in blind, so…
Anyway, some of the best scenes are with three orphaned (WWII) grandchildren, home on school break anticipating a glorious summer to sail, swim, explore - and boy, do they get it. We also get occasional glimpses of the surviving brother, James, who seems like a nice fellow, but his wife, Trina, is hilariously uptight, controlling and awful, and her two children are what you would expect from such a mom. Of course Trina sucks the joy out of any family occasion, and leaves the hospitable Mrs.MacAlvey rather wrung out.
The writing and descriptions are enchanting, I don’t want to make this review even longer, but I’ve copied and pasted several in my reading progress. I was unfamiliar with this author, but picked this and a couple other humorous, gentle books from Furrowed Middlebrow reissues for my five contributions to the Retro Reads group Book Pool. It was wonderful, and highly recommended.
The book opens in 1948 with Mrs. M enjoying the beautiful, magical view of the ocean and distant islands - we’re told she often does, and is so taken with it, she often drops a stitch in her knitting. She loves her home, her lush, three-acre garden (which she made herself over the years, with the help of an unenthusiastic assistant from the village), and her big family.
There are several to keep track of, but you figure out who’s who - Cleo, the older daughter, is returning home from working in America for years, Raine, the next, has just become engaged to an easygoing, charming neighbor, Ian. He’s younger brother to the laird, Neil - a handsome, quiet, serious man who loves his brother, his land, and his home - the two live in their old house trying to farm the hard Highlands soil and make the estate self-sustaining. Cleo has been in love with Neil for as long as she can remember, and several wonderful, relatable scenes revolve around her trying desperately to engage the taciturn laird in conversation (who among us hasn’t suffered the pangs of a secret crush?) Part of me thought this a bit odd, for a young woman in her mid to late 20s who has been away from home working in the states for a few years, but it works here, Given the era, I really don’t think it’s a spoiler, but some readers want to go in blind, so…
Anyway, some of the best scenes are with three orphaned (WWII) grandchildren, home on school break anticipating a glorious summer to sail, swim, explore - and boy, do they get it. We also get occasional glimpses of the surviving brother, James, who seems like a nice fellow, but his wife, Trina, is hilariously uptight, controlling and awful, and her two children are what you would expect from such a mom. Of course Trina sucks the joy out of any family occasion, and leaves the hospitable Mrs.MacAlvey rather wrung out.
The writing and descriptions are enchanting, I don’t want to make this review even longer, but I’ve copied and pasted several in my reading progress. I was unfamiliar with this author, but picked this and a couple other humorous, gentle books from Furrowed Middlebrow reissues for my five contributions to the Retro Reads group Book Pool. It was wonderful, and highly recommended.
May 8, 2023
A lovely story that I took my time with; I really enjoyed spending time with this family. It's another quiet novel where little happens (apart from a couple of adventures and a wedding), but it is set in the Scottish Highlands during the summer holidays. There are several generations living in Kiloch, plus various guests so there are quite a few characters to keep track of, but for the most part they were distinct enough for it to be fairly easy. It is one of those books to sink into, similar to D.E. Stevenson and Miss Read, but funnier.
July 23, 2023
Lovely! So funny with such a boisterous, quirky family at the heart of the book. I love the sister relationship between Cleo and Raine. Loved the Scottish setting! Loved the adventures the kids go on! Also really want to know what became of Noreen’s romance…
December 19, 2023
After a rocky start, I just adored this book! It truly just got better and better as I got deeper into the story.
I have a hard time with books that begin with a huge cast of characters and I can't picture anyone in my mind. Usually, a family tree or some kind of visual representation helps, but I just had to wing it and hope for the best.
But, really, it was SO worth it!
Besides loving all of the kooky characters, the conversations were lively, entertaining and just plain fun. I can totally imagine a movie adaptation of this book being amazing.
Ruby Ferguson's writing reminded me so much of D.E. Stevenson, especially with the setting in Scotland. I'm even more motivated to try reading more of her books now that I've read this one. My book friends' recommendations did not disappoint! Woo!
A wonderful, mini family saga with the best domestic details (clothes, food, furniture, etc.) and amusing drama. Highly, highly recommended!
I have a hard time with books that begin with a huge cast of characters and I can't picture anyone in my mind. Usually, a family tree or some kind of visual representation helps, but I just had to wing it and hope for the best.
But, really, it was SO worth it!
Besides loving all of the kooky characters, the conversations were lively, entertaining and just plain fun. I can totally imagine a movie adaptation of this book being amazing.
Ruby Ferguson's writing reminded me so much of D.E. Stevenson, especially with the setting in Scotland. I'm even more motivated to try reading more of her books now that I've read this one. My book friends' recommendations did not disappoint! Woo!
A wonderful, mini family saga with the best domestic details (clothes, food, furniture, etc.) and amusing drama. Highly, highly recommended!
August 26, 2023
Absolutely marvelous! The perfect August read. The characters are hilarious and the story is heartfelt. I loved the rural Scottish setting and the children's adventures and the restoration of the house and just every little bit (especially the busts). Ferguson's insight into human nature made every page a joy and I hope to read more by her.
September 21, 2023
I have been feeling tired and a bit depressed and this book was just the antidote: it’s charming, undemanding (except for the large roster of characters), humorous and set in the Scottish Highlands. My Furrowed Middlebrow edition had a wonderful Introduction by the Scottish writer Candia McWilliam, which begins like this:
I adored the way the book’s plot toggles between the prosaic and ecstatic. The descriptions of Scotland’s West Highlands landscape are heavenly, there are more than a few references to fairies, but there are also the down-to-earth pleasures of food and flowers and the reliable absurdity of people. It’s a rambling, rambunctious saga of the MacAlvey family - set during a glorious summer, and climaxing with a wedding - but there enough dark edges to keep the story from becoming just an idealised bit of fluff.
The book begins with the return of the MacAlvey’s oldest daughter, Cleo, who has been away for three years. If there is a central character it’s Cleo, and if there is a plot it’s a Homecoming plot. She worries that she has changed, or that the place has changed, or that she will not belong to her home anymore. One of the dark edges of the book is that two of the family’s sons have died in the War; another is the worry about opportunity and prosperity in the region. But love of Scotland - and more pertinently, the Highlands - trumps all. This is a romance after all, and what unites all of the characters who truly belong is their own appreciation for the place they call home.
”The greatest news! Raine is engaged to Ian Garvine. It only happened a week ago, so I didn’t write you. Isn’t that nice?”
“Ian? Oh, how splendid. I’m so pleased,” cried Cleo.
“Yes, we’re all delighted. A neighbour and somebody we’ve known for years, and such a good match.”
“My dear Mummy, said Cleo, “I’ve been away long enough to know that anybody outside Scotland would think you were cracked. A good match! And what has Ian Garvine got but half a tumbledown house and a few cows? He’s a grand boy, but - “
“He’s a Garvine Of Larrich!”
“As if that meant anything outside Scotland!”
“Well, the name and the land mean everything in Scotland, and that’s where they’ll live all their lives.”
There is a term used to describe such places as the island of Iona, off Mull, on the West Coast of Scotland, where the transcendent and material world come so close they are barely separate; the word is ‘thin’. Anyone who has visited such a place will have felt it. It is both holy and magical, tug against one another though those discrete metaphysics, religion and magic, may seem to.
I adored the way the book’s plot toggles between the prosaic and ecstatic. The descriptions of Scotland’s West Highlands landscape are heavenly, there are more than a few references to fairies, but there are also the down-to-earth pleasures of food and flowers and the reliable absurdity of people. It’s a rambling, rambunctious saga of the MacAlvey family - set during a glorious summer, and climaxing with a wedding - but there enough dark edges to keep the story from becoming just an idealised bit of fluff.
The book begins with the return of the MacAlvey’s oldest daughter, Cleo, who has been away for three years. If there is a central character it’s Cleo, and if there is a plot it’s a Homecoming plot. She worries that she has changed, or that the place has changed, or that she will not belong to her home anymore. One of the dark edges of the book is that two of the family’s sons have died in the War; another is the worry about opportunity and prosperity in the region. But love of Scotland - and more pertinently, the Highlands - trumps all. This is a romance after all, and what unites all of the characters who truly belong is their own appreciation for the place they call home.
”The greatest news! Raine is engaged to Ian Garvine. It only happened a week ago, so I didn’t write you. Isn’t that nice?”
“Ian? Oh, how splendid. I’m so pleased,” cried Cleo.
“Yes, we’re all delighted. A neighbour and somebody we’ve known for years, and such a good match.”
“My dear Mummy, said Cleo, “I’ve been away long enough to know that anybody outside Scotland would think you were cracked. A good match! And what has Ian Garvine got but half a tumbledown house and a few cows? He’s a grand boy, but - “
“He’s a Garvine Of Larrich!”
“As if that meant anything outside Scotland!”
“Well, the name and the land mean everything in Scotland, and that’s where they’ll live all their lives.”
April 19, 2022
Sweet, charming, character-driven novel about a West Highlands family in 1952, still suffering from the aftermath of war but enjoying their gorgeous surroundings and each other’s company. The chapters describing the activities of the young teens detracted somewhat from the romantic plot, which was thin on the ground, but the descriptions of the Scottish landscape were wonderful. I especially admired the author’s gift for dialogue.
August 14, 2023
4 Stars
I wish this book had at least two sequels. How can I go on without hearing what happened to various members of the MacAlvey family?
I wish this book had at least two sequels. How can I go on without hearing what happened to various members of the MacAlvey family?
September 8, 2022
Many readers whose opinions I respect recommended this book highly so I went into it with high anticipation. I enjoyed it in a mild sort of way, but cannot rave.
Cleo McAlvey is a young woman from the Scottish coastal Highlands returning home in 1948 after several years working in the United States. She loves her homeland and it is described in appealing terms in the narration, evoking dim memories of my one trip there decades ago. Cleo is coming home largely because her sister, Raine, is newly engaged to the younger brother of the local laird of Larrich. Cleo has long had a crush on the laird, Neil, who has taken up farming his ancestral lands after service in the war. Neil, however, is uncommunicative and spends much of the book as more or less a blank, though we see him periodically making courteous, generous, and chivalrous gestures when he has time to awaken from his preoccupation with his livestock.
The story is more of a family portrait, with Cleo and Raine’s parents, grandchildren, and assorted hangers-on all getting their due attention. It is a numerous cast and tends to make the book a bit diffuse. The social comedy is sharply observed in the Angela Thirkell style and there are plenty of entertaining cameo appearances from eccentric neighbors, but with so many characters to keep track of, the story ended up feeling a bit thin for me.
A few examples: Two of the McAlveys’ sons had died in the war, but they are barely mentioned and don’t creep into the conversation of family members as one would expect them to do. It is as if they had never been, even though their absence has rearranged the family circle (three children of one of them are now living with the grandparents, but there is only one moment when one of the children thinks fondly of things he used to do with his father). Similarly, Cleo’s years in the United States are referred to a few times but we never really learn what they were like for her beyond the fact that she is happy to be home. Part of this collective amnesia was, I suspect, a deliberate choice for British people to put the war years behind them, but here it is carried to a point of implausibility. Other threads get dropped over the course of the story, and the climactic scene comes so belatedly that it feels pasted on to provide a happy ending.
I was also less than sympathetic to the heroine, Cleo, who seemed a bit of a sad sack. She has some clever dialogue when at home with her family but otherwise lives in a state of self-doubting paralysis, acting clumsily and blurting out things she shouldn’t. Around the laird she is almost completely tongue-tied, which pretty much prevents any chance at evolution in their relationship. Neil and Cleo have a revealing conversation near the end about their respective siblings and why their marriage is likely to be happy, but I could have wished we had more opportunity to see the traits they highlight.
As is often the case with Furrowed Middlebrow publications, the text is unpleasantly laid out and the typos (mostly scanning errors) numerous. I wish Dean Street Press invested the few hundred dollars it would take per book to use a freelance proofreader, because the errors are distracting.
I did enjoy my time spent with the McAlvey family on the Scottish coast—I always enjoy spending time with unpretentious “better families” of the type so often written about before the 1960s in Britain—but felt the book lacked a certain level of technical proficiency.
Cleo McAlvey is a young woman from the Scottish coastal Highlands returning home in 1948 after several years working in the United States. She loves her homeland and it is described in appealing terms in the narration, evoking dim memories of my one trip there decades ago. Cleo is coming home largely because her sister, Raine, is newly engaged to the younger brother of the local laird of Larrich. Cleo has long had a crush on the laird, Neil, who has taken up farming his ancestral lands after service in the war. Neil, however, is uncommunicative and spends much of the book as more or less a blank, though we see him periodically making courteous, generous, and chivalrous gestures when he has time to awaken from his preoccupation with his livestock.
The story is more of a family portrait, with Cleo and Raine’s parents, grandchildren, and assorted hangers-on all getting their due attention. It is a numerous cast and tends to make the book a bit diffuse. The social comedy is sharply observed in the Angela Thirkell style and there are plenty of entertaining cameo appearances from eccentric neighbors, but with so many characters to keep track of, the story ended up feeling a bit thin for me.
A few examples: Two of the McAlveys’ sons had died in the war, but they are barely mentioned and don’t creep into the conversation of family members as one would expect them to do. It is as if they had never been, even though their absence has rearranged the family circle (three children of one of them are now living with the grandparents, but there is only one moment when one of the children thinks fondly of things he used to do with his father). Similarly, Cleo’s years in the United States are referred to a few times but we never really learn what they were like for her beyond the fact that she is happy to be home. Part of this collective amnesia was, I suspect, a deliberate choice for British people to put the war years behind them, but here it is carried to a point of implausibility. Other threads get dropped over the course of the story, and the climactic scene comes so belatedly that it feels pasted on to provide a happy ending.
I was also less than sympathetic to the heroine, Cleo, who seemed a bit of a sad sack. She has some clever dialogue when at home with her family but otherwise lives in a state of self-doubting paralysis, acting clumsily and blurting out things she shouldn’t. Around the laird she is almost completely tongue-tied, which pretty much prevents any chance at evolution in their relationship. Neil and Cleo have a revealing conversation near the end about their respective siblings and why their marriage is likely to be happy, but I could have wished we had more opportunity to see the traits they highlight.
As is often the case with Furrowed Middlebrow publications, the text is unpleasantly laid out and the typos (mostly scanning errors) numerous. I wish Dean Street Press invested the few hundred dollars it would take per book to use a freelance proofreader, because the errors are distracting.
I did enjoy my time spent with the McAlvey family on the Scottish coast—I always enjoy spending time with unpretentious “better families” of the type so often written about before the 1960s in Britain—but felt the book lacked a certain level of technical proficiency.
November 28, 2023
3.5 stars for this visit with the MacAlvey family in 1948. The location is the western Scottish Highlands, which is beautifully described by the author and the events take place over the course of the summer.
All of the descriptive writing is so lovely, almost rhapsodic. I could see the countryside, the houses. The wit is gentle--no snark or sarcasm here. And most of the characters are real people, with virtues, quirks, and fully formed personalities. I especially enjoyed the grandchildren and their summer adventures. I'm rounding it up to 4 stars on the strength of the prose.
The story bounces around between the senior MacAlveys, their two daughters Cleo and Raine, and the various grandchildren. I had a good time with all of them.
My one big quibble is that I did not believe the romance (such as it was) between Neil and Cleo. She spends most of the book acting like a teenage girl with a crush on the unattainable boy.
My other quibble is a technical one. It seems no one at Dean Street Press bothered proofreading the text before publication. The spelling errors and bizarre word usage drove me crazy.
All of the descriptive writing is so lovely, almost rhapsodic. I could see the countryside, the houses. The wit is gentle--no snark or sarcasm here. And most of the characters are real people, with virtues, quirks, and fully formed personalities. I especially enjoyed the grandchildren and their summer adventures. I'm rounding it up to 4 stars on the strength of the prose.
The story bounces around between the senior MacAlveys, their two daughters Cleo and Raine, and the various grandchildren. I had a good time with all of them.
My one big quibble is that I did not believe the romance (such as it was) between Neil and Cleo. She spends most of the book acting like a teenage girl with a crush on the unattainable boy.
My other quibble is a technical one. It seems no one at Dean Street Press bothered proofreading the text before publication. The spelling errors and bizarre word usage drove me crazy.
March 22, 2021
A delightful family story set in the highlands of Scotland. mr and Mrs McAlvey live in an old house by the sea with their daughters Cleo and Raine, and their three orphaned grandchildren, primrose, gavin and Archie. Raine has just got engaged to Ian, the younger of two brothers who live nearby. Cleo, who has recenty returned from working in America for several years, is secretly in love with Ian's older brother Neil, who so far has shown no interest in her. Primrose, gavin, and Archie, who are looking forward to a summer spent sailing and exploring, are dismayed by the arrival of some stuffy English cousins to stay. the story veers between the various characters, with plenty of humour, and lyrical descriptions of the highland scenery. Rationing was still going on when this story was written, and there are many loving descriptions of delicious food being eaten. This is a perfect relaxing summer read.
January 23, 2022
This was a lovely book. Character-driven, quirky, beautiful scenery (now I really want to go to Scotland!), and a satisfying ending. A perfect read when you need to relax and de-stress. Light, but not fluffy.
October 21, 2021
El año es 1948 y los protagonistas de la historia son la familia MacAlvey que vive en el oeste de las Highlands. El señor y la señora MacAlvey, las dos chicas de cuatro hijos que tuvieron y tres nietos huérfanos, hijos del chico que se les murió en combate. A ellos se suman dos primos un poco snobs de los niños y unas cuantas criadas. Cerca viven los jóvenes hermanos Garvine, Neil y Ian, terratenientes y granjeros. La trama comienza cuando Cleo, la mayor de las hijas, vuelve de haber trabajado tres años en Estados Unidos y coincide que su hermana va a casarse con el menor de los Garvine, Ian. Curiosamente Cleo lleva toda la vida enamorada de Neil Garvine, y esta cercana boda le pone un poquito nerviosa.
Es la historia del tiempo que transcurre entre la llegada de Cleo a casa y la boda de Raine con Ian. El libro se compone de escenas entrañables y no tan entrañables que le dan emoción al relato, en términos generales no pasa nada relevante: es un recuento de la vida de los MacAlvey, los Garvine, sus amigos y sus no tan amigos. En la trama, por supuesto, hay enredos y confusiones que luego llevan a una conclusión satisfactoria.
A mí me ha parecido una delicia, aunque hubo pequeñas partes que me sobraban un poco. Algunas escenas que me parecían un poco de relleno o algún conflicto que no venía a cuento. Además se da un conflicto que dura toda la novela que no es, ni mucho menos, la trama principal, que llega al desenlace de una forma muy precipitada, muy en el último minuto. Sin embargo no es algo de lo que se pueda acusar a Ruby Ferguson sin acusar a otras autoras de su estilo y época. Este tipo de desenlaces se producían bastante a menudo en las novelas de entreguerras y posteriores a la II Guerra Mundial: la misión de las mismas era entretener y aliviar el día a día de lectores que, como también refleja el libro, vivían pensando en cuartillas de racionamiento y en la escasez, además de la tristeza y la pérdida, aunque esto último el libro evita recordarlo. Así pues, autoras como Ruby Ferguson o D.E. Stevenson enfocaban sus novelas más hacia el bienestar general que hacia el de uno o dos personajes en concreto.
Es la historia del tiempo que transcurre entre la llegada de Cleo a casa y la boda de Raine con Ian. El libro se compone de escenas entrañables y no tan entrañables que le dan emoción al relato, en términos generales no pasa nada relevante: es un recuento de la vida de los MacAlvey, los Garvine, sus amigos y sus no tan amigos. En la trama, por supuesto, hay enredos y confusiones que luego llevan a una conclusión satisfactoria.
A mí me ha parecido una delicia, aunque hubo pequeñas partes que me sobraban un poco. Algunas escenas que me parecían un poco de relleno o algún conflicto que no venía a cuento. Además se da un conflicto que dura toda la novela que no es, ni mucho menos, la trama principal, que llega al desenlace de una forma muy precipitada, muy en el último minuto. Sin embargo no es algo de lo que se pueda acusar a Ruby Ferguson sin acusar a otras autoras de su estilo y época. Este tipo de desenlaces se producían bastante a menudo en las novelas de entreguerras y posteriores a la II Guerra Mundial: la misión de las mismas era entretener y aliviar el día a día de lectores que, como también refleja el libro, vivían pensando en cuartillas de racionamiento y en la escasez, además de la tristeza y la pérdida, aunque esto último el libro evita recordarlo. Así pues, autoras como Ruby Ferguson o D.E. Stevenson enfocaban sus novelas más hacia el bienestar general que hacia el de uno o dos personajes en concreto.
April 27, 2025
Charming story set in the Scottish Highlands just after WWII. It covers one summer in the lives of MacAlvey family - three generations coming together for the first time in years. The younger set spend all their free time sailing or wishing they were sailing, the middle girls have their own relationships, and the elder MacAlveys watch it all go by too quickly. I liked almost everything about this story, I only got tired of Cleo being such a sop, and the ending was pretty abrupt. Still, I had fun with this and would read more by the author. For fans on Miss Read of DE Stevenson. 3.5 stars
June 26, 2013
Setting: Coast of Scotland, not long after WWII.
Cleo (who is around 30) is returning to Scotland after working in the States for a few years. Upon her arrival, she is surprised to learn that her younger sister Raine is engaged to Ian Garvine, the younger brother of a well know (though not affluent) highland family. Cleo is happy for her sister, especially since that means Raine is not engaged to Ian's older brother Neil. Cleo has been in love with Neil for about 10 years. However, Cleo never seems to know what to say to Neil and always feels like she's made an idiot of herself.
Will Neil ever take an interest in Cleo? Will Cleo ever get over her feelings for Neil? Is she doomed to 'spinsterhood'?
That is the main storyline of the novel. There are also several secondary characters, mostly family of Cleo and Raine. The mom who loves a full house and caring for others. The father who mostly wants to fish and be comfortable. The nieces and nephews on summer holiday who are determined to enjoy every moment of it.
Altogether, a calm book in which nothing overly exciting happens. Most the characters are nice and caring, there really isn't any villain. My only complaint was the resolution to the Neil/Cleo storyline. It just didn't feel very believable, which maybe was the point.
Cleo (who is around 30) is returning to Scotland after working in the States for a few years. Upon her arrival, she is surprised to learn that her younger sister Raine is engaged to Ian Garvine, the younger brother of a well know (though not affluent) highland family. Cleo is happy for her sister, especially since that means Raine is not engaged to Ian's older brother Neil. Cleo has been in love with Neil for about 10 years. However, Cleo never seems to know what to say to Neil and always feels like she's made an idiot of herself.
Will Neil ever take an interest in Cleo? Will Cleo ever get over her feelings for Neil? Is she doomed to 'spinsterhood'?
That is the main storyline of the novel. There are also several secondary characters, mostly family of Cleo and Raine. The mom who loves a full house and caring for others. The father who mostly wants to fish and be comfortable. The nieces and nephews on summer holiday who are determined to enjoy every moment of it.
Altogether, a calm book in which nothing overly exciting happens. Most the characters are nice and caring, there really isn't any villain. My only complaint was the resolution to the Neil/Cleo storyline. It just didn't feel very believable, which maybe was the point.
October 16, 2013
A novel set in the highlands of Scotland, and thickly populated with lairds and other tartan wearing types. It's a pleasant enough read, although the heroine is rather a ninny. The author is better known for her series of pony books, of which Jill's Gymkhana is the first.
April 9, 2020
The ending felt really sudden and not exactly realistic, but it was sweet and I enjoyed the moments of humor too. Very evocative if you’re interested in the West Highlands of Scotland, particularly the Isle of Skye!
Cleo, usually easygoing and tolerant where other people's foibles were concerned, found herself entertaining in her breast the kind of feelings that lead to war between nations.
-----
In spite of being so disturbed by love, Cleo was hungry.
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Cleo, usually easygoing and tolerant where other people's foibles were concerned, found herself entertaining in her breast the kind of feelings that lead to war between nations.
-----
In spite of being so disturbed by love, Cleo was hungry.
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September 19, 2021
Apricot Sky is a slice of life story about the upper class MacAlvey family living on the coast of Scotland. Set just after WWII, Mr. and Mrs. MacAlvey have three surviving adult children and are also caring for three of their orphaned grandchildren. The book takes place over one summer during which eldest daughter Cleo returns from America to her unrequited crush, Neil Garvine, the local impoverished laird while her sister Raine is engaged to Neil’s younger brother Ian. The children have adventures while sailing and picnicking, while also dealing with their snobby English cousins who come to visit. There are plenty of obnoxious yet humorous side characters, like the English cousins, that serve to jazz up a rather otherwise unremarkable plot.
This was a fun, but very light read. Based on some of the previous books that I have read from this imprint, I was expecting a little more bite or tension in the narrative than this book had. Read for the Furrowed Middle Brow Club on Litsy.
This was a fun, but very light read. Based on some of the previous books that I have read from this imprint, I was expecting a little more bite or tension in the narrative than this book had. Read for the Furrowed Middle Brow Club on Litsy.
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March 25, 2022Another good one from Ruby Ferguson, this time about a family gathering for a wedding. You'll find quirky characters, entertaining perspectives, a few pining hearts, and plenty of emotional (and even some physical) drama. Just good fun all around, without the lingering ache I felt (and appreciated) while reading LADY ROSE AND MRS. MEMMARY.
February 16, 2022
This was a charming and humorous book set in Scotland after the war, published in 1952. There are lovely descriptions of the setting (hence 'apricot sky') and some wonderful characters, especially a few Scottish eccentrics, and though there is a wide cast including children, all of the characters are individuals. The older generation (but not the eldest with an aged aunt or two) is represented by Mr. and Mrs. MacAlvey, parents of five children, with two of the sons having been killed in the war. It is their home of Kilchro that is not only where the family live, but in summer is always full of visiting relations and friends. Mrs. MacAlvey has two loves - her garden and having a house full of visitors. The story begins with their daughter Cleo coming home from the States after a few years (her purpose for being there really never explained) in time for her sister Raine's wedding. The surviving son, James, lives nearby and is married to the detestable Trina, a helicopter mother, before the term was invented, to their two intimidated children. The MacAlveys are also raising their three orphaned grandchildren who are fourteen, fifteen, and ten years of age. There really isn't much of a plot as the story jumps around from one group of characters to another, but the central character is Cleo. Though Cleo is the elder sister, Raine has gotten engaged first (earning the disapproval of the older traditional busybodies) to Ian, the younger brother of the laird of Larrich, Neil. Cleo has been besotted with Neil since her youth, but it is still obvious when she returns that he has never paid her the slightest attention. Cleo is self-conscious and at a total loss in how to converse with the reticent Neil, and their stilted conversations are hilarious. Neil only seems to enthusiastically engage with the vivacious and rich young widow neighbor who plays up to him. Neil and Ian are farmers and live in the huge estate home by themselves and an aged housekeeper/cook. Needless to say, the place has seen better days, and Raine is having fun re-doing parts of it. Where Cleo is reserved and always thinking of how her words might affect another, Raine is wide open and unfiltered, but the sisters are close and share a conspiratorial sense of humor.
A good part of the action involves the escapades of the three grandchildren and their priggish visiting cousins. Then there are the conventional couple, the Leighs, visiting, and their daughter, who is a friend of Cleo and Raine's. There are hunting parties with the rich Americans (that the locals can't help but make fun of) and their guests, and visits with eccentric neighbors and a run-in with a local celebrity. All of this adds to the fun, though not really to the plot, which builds up to Raine's wedding. It is an enjoyable romp and for those who like a Scottish setting and mid-century domestic novels with wit, it is not to be missed.
This is one of the republications of twentieth century women's fiction from the Furrowed Middlebrow collection from Dean Street Books, which I am so glad has brought back many wonderful books of an earlier era. I read the Kindle version, but was disappointed with numerous typos, especially where a lower case 'b' was apparently scanned as an 'h'. I wish it had been better copy edited. Three and a half stars rounded up.
A good part of the action involves the escapades of the three grandchildren and their priggish visiting cousins. Then there are the conventional couple, the Leighs, visiting, and their daughter, who is a friend of Cleo and Raine's. There are hunting parties with the rich Americans (that the locals can't help but make fun of) and their guests, and visits with eccentric neighbors and a run-in with a local celebrity. All of this adds to the fun, though not really to the plot, which builds up to Raine's wedding. It is an enjoyable romp and for those who like a Scottish setting and mid-century domestic novels with wit, it is not to be missed.
This is one of the republications of twentieth century women's fiction from the Furrowed Middlebrow collection from Dean Street Books, which I am so glad has brought back many wonderful books of an earlier era. I read the Kindle version, but was disappointed with numerous typos, especially where a lower case 'b' was apparently scanned as an 'h'. I wish it had been better copy edited. Three and a half stars rounded up.
September 17, 2021
This was a bit of a slow starter for me, although that is probably all on me and the circumstances of my reading. Once I was able to sink into it, it was pretty endearing and I very much enjoyed spending time with this family over their pivotal summer. No big dramatics, no surprises. Just entirely pleasant people going about their lives, kids having low-key Ransome-ish adventures, the right people falling and/or being delightfully in love, and the annoying characters being humorously tolerated by the more sympathetic characters who are just as annoyed with them as the reader is. Bonus points for so skillfully evoking the Scottish setting.
June 18, 2021
Although some of the sentiments here feel a touch dated, you can't help but love this book which is almost a love letter to Scotland. Read more in my review here. https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2021/06/1...
May 7, 2025
Really enjoyed this one. Reminiscent of DE Stevenson.
November 7, 2023
This was a delightful read. I love to read books that were written in the same time period when they are set. It's so interesting to discover ho people in those times and places really thought and felt, what their priorities and struggles were. This book is set in the highlands of Scotland after the war. and every pages overflows with beautiful pictures of what that time and place was like. The story is simple and sweet and compelling.
July 24, 2022
I loved this book! The MacAlvey family were delightful. It takes place in Scotland during a summer holiday. The MacAlvey's oldest daughter is home from America after three years away, their other daughter is getting married at the end of the summer, and their three orphaned grandchildren are visiting for the summer. Also on hand are the grandchildren's snobbish English cousins, and various other characters. Just a lovely tale of a slightly eccentric family and their adventures over a summer, while getting ready for a wedding. Lovely descriptions of scenery too. The only bad thing: so many typos!
July 25, 2021
Adorable
Sweet and happy, this book is like a series of watercolor landscapes interspersed with bits of Monarch of the Glen and Enid Blyton and D.E. Stevenson. Read it if you need happy dreams....
Sweet and happy, this book is like a series of watercolor landscapes interspersed with bits of Monarch of the Glen and Enid Blyton and D.E. Stevenson. Read it if you need happy dreams....
July 21, 2021
I've finally added a "Scotland" shelf to my bookshelves, because I have read a lot of books set there lately, and this is one of my favorite so far. It is definitely escapist, but it is a place I wouldn't mind escaping to. I found the main character relatable, and the ending fits well with the tone of the book. I wish more of Ferguson's books were in print.
December 29, 2021
I was not as charmed by this book as I probably should have been. In many ways it is a charming look at a slightly eccentric Scottish family, but it was just too fractured. Too many storylines—several involving children and their shenanigans, not exactly my favorite kind of thing—too many offbeat characters coming and going, and a too-unsatisfactory romance between a tongue-tied hero and heroine who barely seem to exchange ten words at a time. No doubt there is much to love about this book. It just didn't do it for me.
June 14, 2021
Light-hearted, entertaining family story, in a similar vein to O Douglas and D E Stevenson.
The romance is a tad flat though Cleo's character is convincing. Would have like more about the grandchildren and various cousins.
Some vivid imagery in the writing; "... it gives you the most incredible feeling, as thought you were sitting on the throne of Scotland eating a strawberry ice with fireworks going off all round you."
The romance is a tad flat though Cleo's character is convincing. Would have like more about the grandchildren and various cousins.
Some vivid imagery in the writing; "... it gives you the most incredible feeling, as thought you were sitting on the throne of Scotland eating a strawberry ice with fireworks going off all round you."
January 10, 2022
4.5 stars
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