The Edinburgh Skating Club

by Michelle Sloan

When you look at a painting, what do you really see?

When eighteenth-century poet Alison Cockburn accepts a light-hearted challenge from her friend Katherine Hume to live as a man, in order to infiltrate Edinburgh's all-male skating club, little do they both realise how her new identity will shape their future.

And in the present, art historian Claire Sharp receives a mysterious to settle once and for all the true provenance of the iconic painting The Skating Minister.

The Edinburgh Skating Club is the tale of one woman's mission to infiltrate a male-dominated society. Imaginative, romantic and ultimately moving, this time-shift adventure celebrates the women overlooked by history – and, above all, love, in all its unexpected forms.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Scotland, Historical, Fiction, Audiobook, Book Club

232 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 4, 2022

About the author

Michelle lives in Broughty Ferry, Dundee with her family, feisty cat Lola and silly mutt, Scruff. In between chauffeuring her small people here, there and everywhere, wiping noses and tempering toddler tantrums, she squeezes in precious writing time. Her first picture book, The Fourth Bonniest Baby in Dundee was published in July of this year (Picture Kelpies).

Michelle trained as a Primary Teacher and worked for many years in Edinburgh, before indulging her love of all things theatrical by returning to university to study Drama. After dabbling in performance art in Glasgow, and starring in a one woman show in Edinburgh, Michelle finally settled on a specialty in Arts Journalism and developed a new, unknown passion for writing! After a few reviews for ‘The List’ magazine, she turned to scribbling creatively.

When it comes to writing fiction for older children, Michelle is inspired by the stories and bravery of previous generations – particularly those connected to WW1 and WW2. Focussing on historical fiction gives her a fantastic opportunity to engage in research and to bring those stories to life with an exciting modern day twist.

Reviews

[Verónica Fleitas Solich · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute delight to read.
It is difficult to review this book without spoilers, so I will just say that this story is a lot and that it is written with mastery and simplicity.
a little gem that certainly deserves much more recognition.

[Thekirkiepirate · Rating 3 out of 5]

An entertaining and certainly undemanding novel.

I liked the premise of the book - the doubts surrounding the authenticity of The Skating Minister painting and whether it is a Raeburn. The novel takes us to late-eighteenth century Edinburgh and a social experiment carried out by John Hume, his sister Katherine and their friend Alison Cockburn. They find that when Cockburn dresses as a man, perceptions of her chnage dramatically. When she is practising skating in an attampt to join the male Edinburgh Skating Club, she comes across the minister who will feature in the painting.

Running alongside is a present-day pair of academics investigating the provenance of the painting.

Unfortunately, the narrative is rather simplistic and very undemanding. I was at a loss to see why some characters featured at all, and why others seemed to change personality on a daily basis. I note that the author has previously published children's fiction and i don't feel that she has, at this point, transitioned to the adult reader.

However, an interesting perspective on this debate - rather like Gentlemen Jack meets the Scottish Enlightenment.

[Evelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fabulous story surrounding the famous Skating Minister painting in the National Gallery. The story is set in Edinburgh in 18th century and present day. Doubt is cast on the identity of the painter and through historical flashbacks we find the actual history unfold. Likeable characters and a fine insight into Edinburgh life in 18th century. Enjoyable read 😊

[Aisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charming, imaginative and pleasant.

[Martina Pugliese · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice fiction work about a famous Scottish painting on show at the National Gallery of Scotland in Edinburgh. I live there so when I happened in a bookstore and looked for novels set in Scotland this caught my eye and I bought it. The painting in question is at the centre of a research effort for its attribution which generates a dive in the past to the age of the Enlightenment, with the accent on the role of some women and their contribution to the turmoil of ideas of the time. The book is written as a mirror story that develops today but also in the 18th century and I appreciated the alternation of chapters set now and then, it gives the whole thing a quick pace.
I found the overall idea nice but somewhat the narrative is a bit contrived, the story takes turns that are too improbable at times - I won't say more because I don't want to create spoilers.
Also, the prose contains too many ordinary details (things like the character takes the mug, slices a cake, cleans this, does that) that disrupt the reading flow without adding much of value.
All in all though it is an interesting piece of work that raises an important point: how much do we really know about the contribution of women to what we are today, as a human society? How much of that was covered, even regarding a supposedly open and progressive time like the Enlightenment? This is something we all need to see more books about, to look back at history with a different eye and get rid of outdated conceptions while at the same time give people the right credit.
I learned a few things, especially in regards to the city I live in.

[Sally · Rating 3 out of 5]

The ideas are so interesting but the writing lets the book down. The characters have no hinterland and the dialogue is flat, unconvincing. Having said that, I did want to finish the book and I liked the depiction of 18th century Edinburgh.

[Tamara York · Rating 4 out of 5]

Historical fiction told across two timelines focused on the Scottish Enlightenment and The Skating Minister, a painting that makes me smile every time I look at it. Very enjoyable.

[November Chilcott · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel it is hard to talk about this book without acknowledging the fact that the main character (Francis Pringle/Alison Cockburn) very much reads as a trans man. The narrative using male pronouns and terms for him whilst he is dressed as a man, the assertion that as a man he feels as though he is his true self, and the fact that Francis Pringle is said to be the happiest time in Alison Cockburn’s life (within the book). As a trans person myself I enjoyed this, and the ambiguous approach to gender from Francis made sense especially considering the time period. However Alison Cockburn was a real person. Alison Cockburn was a real person who, to the extent of my knowledge, was not transgender.

Now there is nothing wrong with not being transgender, but I do think it’s an odd choice for the author to make. I am unsure if Sloan realised quite how trans coded her main character is, or if that was an accident. These things are easy to do.

The romance between Katherine Hume and Francis Pringle was also interesting; I saw it initially develop on Katherine’s side and thought it would be sweet to see the feelings develop and the relationship blossom, however this really didn’t happen. There is also confusion as Katherine knew of Francis Pringle’s identity, was the main orchestrator behind it. Yet she seemed to utterly separate Francis and Alison in her mind. This could have been enjoyable to read about had it been explored, yet the nature of their relationship felt a little too ambiguous and rushed.

A further in depth queer reading of this book feels necessary for my understanding of it. However, this is not needed when simply enjoying a book about art history, academia, and the woman’s place in the world.

[Charlie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 STARS

CW: death, misogyny, sexism, mention of stalking

This was such an endearing, feel-good story and I enjoyed the rather short book immensely. This is a great quick read, it's a queer story about historical figures and art history and it was a fun mix of a multitude of things.

To be honest, I picked this up on a whim because I saw it around bookstores in Edinburgh and when I read the blurb, I was convinced to give it a try. Queer, set in Edinburgh and defying gender norms in the 18th century? Sign me up. While reading, I was extremely nostalgic for Edinburgh, I miss the city even though it's been barely a month since I was last there. (Definitely too long, though!) The book did a good job of conjuring up the city though.

I must admit, the story was only alright. It definitely hooked me and glided along without any problems but there isn't really anything that makes it stand out as something extra special. WE follow two time lines, one in 18th century Edinburgh with Alison Cockburn wanting to join the Edinburgh Skating Club which is exclusive to men of course. So she and her friend Katherine Hume come up with the grand idea that Alison should disguise as a man assuming the name Francis Pringle. Francis easily integrates into Edinburgh society and it was delightful to read between the lines concerning his identity and feelings. I really loved this depiction and his relationship with Katherine.
The other timeline is about Dr Claire Sharp, an art historian working at the university who engages with the painting The Skating Minister which is on display in the National Library. I have seen the painting when I was in Edinburgh but I had no idea about the "drama" attached to it. It is attributed to the painter Raeburn but there have been voices pointing out that it probably wasn't painted by him. Naturally, Claire's story and investigation into the origins of the painting intertwine with the events of the other timeline.

The characters were nice, I liked them all, but Francis Pringle was my favorite for obvious reasons. The writing style was very easy to read.

If you are interested in art history, this might be of interest to you but even to everyone who may be indifferent about paintings, this story still is very delightful. It indirectly delves into a lot of different issues and I had a great time reading it. Can definitely recommend, more so if you love Edinburgh like me and miss the city whenever you're not there.

[Karen Barber · Rating 4 out of 5]

A celebrated picture hangs in Edinburgh, depicting a well-known skating minister. In the present day art historian Claire is contacted by someone to ask whether she will look into the provenance of the painting to see whether it has been wrongly attributed to one of Scotland’s best known painters.
Our story also takes place in the eighteenth century where a daring scheme is afoot, focusing on a dare by Katherine Hume to her friend, poet Alison Cockburn, to see whether she can pass as a male and gain entry to one of Edinburgh’s famed gentlemen’s clubs.
It’s hard to review this without giving away spoilers. The story is entertaining, and it explores some interesting views on attitudes to gender during a key period in Scottish history.

[Lili · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple, predictable, and wholesome - just how I wanted to start the year

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this! So charming and gently told but emotional. I’ve recommended it to all my reader friends and am already planning a trip to see the painting!

[Richard Dryburgh · Rating 4 out of 5]

´Every painting, every building, every piece of social history, is just that. It’s really about the people behind it.´

An enjoyable story about the origins of the famous Scottish painting, ´The Skating Minster’. I randomly visited the National Gallery on the day I finished this book and saw the original in person and the book definitely made me think more about the stories behind all the paintings, including Raeburn’s.

The story was a bit on-the-nose in places but it’s always nice to read stories set in Edinburgh, both past and present.

[James Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun account of an academic’s 21st Century quest to clear up the identity of a famous painting, and an 18th century jape between Alison Cockburn and Katherine Hume, which has unexpected consequences for the two women. This delightful book evokes the travails of women in both these periods, and is supremely enjoyable. It ends on perfect- if melancholy- note.

[Amaia Imaz blanco · Rating 1 out of 5]

Had to DNF this the writing was godawful.

[Tine Korsten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prachtig boek

[Stef Penarth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful premise and a really enjoyable read. Contemporary issues on gender mixed with historical characters and a real life art mystery thrown in. Would recommend 😀

[Nicholas Day · Rating 5 out of 5]

totally absorbing

A story which I found totally absorbing … weaving two different eras so easily. It highlighted the horrendous sexual inequalities of an earlier time with the prejudices of the current art world. A piece of detective work with a difference

[Jana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this in the Edinburgh airport as I was headed home. The cover caught my eye as I had just seen the painting in the National Gallery and I had taken a photo of it, not knowing of its fame (and fiction!)

It was fun to stay in Scotland via the book as I left the country behind to return home.

I need to read more about the painting, the book is fiction so I assume it’s 100% made up, but I will read further to see if there is any controversy about the artist.

I enjoyed the two timelines and the characters from each.

[Jennifer Paterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book left me in tears. I love this story. It has captivated me. I see it everywhere, all over Edinburgh and it won’t leave me. It has all my interests in one book. Amazing!

[Ben Bergonzi · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story recounts how poet Alison Cockburn accepts a challenge from philosopher David Hume and his sister Katherine to bring her intellect to bear on the many clubs and societies of 18th century Edinburgh – all of which are open only to men. Hence Alison transmogrifies into the popular man-about-town Francis Pringle. Her impersonation is aided by an unusual authorial stratagem – the consistent use of male pronouns. This is disconcerting, but it renders just-believable the scenes where Alison-as-Pringle mixes undetected with such historical personages as Adam Smith, Allan Ramsay and Robert Burns, who all knew her as Alison. I felt that applying the male-dress masquerade trope to a historically real woman was pushing the conceit a little too far.
Mirroring the historical friendship between middle aged women Alison and Katherine is an amusing modern couple, university historians Clare Sharp and Jenny Brodie. They are drawn into a strange conspiracy to prove that the famous picture by Henry Raeburn, The Skating Minister is in fact by another artist and of another subject. Outside Scotland, not everyone knows that there has been a real controversy over the authorship of this picture. Once I had learned of this, I further enjoyed Clare and Jenny’s detective work in museums and archives. But these scenes would be better if some conclusions had been left implicit, for the reader to draw.
The best aspect of the book is the way Sloan incrementally builds up a plot of some complexity, and provides an enjoyable symmetry between period and modern scenes – for example where the two modern historians see the small Edinburgh wall plaque dedicated to Cockburn, and declare it a very inadequate memorial.

[Dr. des. Siobhán · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel is kinda silly yet endearing. I was quite feverish when I read it, I'm not sure if I'd rate it as kindly when not feverish. It's a story about the famous ice skater painting in the National Gallery (Edinburgh). One storyline is about a friend of David Hume's sister (yes, the important philosopher's sister) who decides to dress up as a man and pretends to be a relative of the Hume siblings in order to partake in all the Gentleman clubs in Edinburgh. I did like the initial part but the romance was a bit icky and I also found it sad that this fabricated story was needed when the real historical person this was based on was supercool already. The other storyline is about an art history professor who investigates the painting and who painted it, based on real discussions surrounding the painting. In the end, the novel was too cheesy and...as I said, a bit silly. I loved reading about Edinburgh though. I miss the place.

[Barbara Henderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favourite read of this year so far, hands down! History, humour and plenty of heart in a slice of Edinburgh heritage served up with more than one unexpected twist. Perfect for fans of Alexander McCall Smith, art lovers and anyone who has an affinity with the Scottish capital.
Sloan manages to convey complexity and depth in deceptively accessible prose, whist evoking Enlightenment Edinburgh with a deft touch. Whimsical , beautiful and utterly memorable.

[Julie Nicholson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Took a while to get into the storylines, but did get drawn in. I was disturbed by the historical inaccuracy - part of the story was set in the 18th century, and the characters went skating at St Margaret's Loch... which wasn't constructed until the Victorian Era, as part of Prince Albert's improvements to Holyrood Park. Apart from that the story rolled along, and as a local to Edinburgh it was an OK read.

[BookAddict · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not quite what I expected. Very very inventive, and I mean inventive. I’m used to historic fiction pushing the boundaries of truth but this is quite a stretch. I’m not convinced the painting was a Raeburn either but this is quite a stretch, and a fun stretch at that. Entertaining characters and crisp writing make up for the inventive (there’s that word again) plot and I liked this.

[Piisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

So-so. Noy a who dunnit, but a who painted it. That's the bit I enjoyed, the book could have gone more into it. Not so much the hide and seek of a woman dressed as a man, that went a bit over the top though it does underline how invisible women were.

[Joanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Scottish Enlightenment in the 18th century is a period of Edinburgh’s history which I particularly enjoy reading about. It’s a recognisable Edinburgh but still an evolving one. The Edinburgh Skating Club is populated with real people from the time such as David Hume. As always, we tend to know lots about men from history but not so much about the women. Katherine Hume, David’s sister, and her poet friend Alison Cockburn really did exist and are brought to life in a vivid and spirited way by the author. I really enjoyed reading about the friendship between these two. They clearly had a special relationship and had fun with their scheme to get Alison into the Edinburgh Skating Club.

In the present day strand of the book, art historian Dr Claire Sharp is tempted by an opportunity to investigate if Raeburn was actually the artist of The Skating Minister. The painting is described as the gallery’s poster boy which made me laugh! There have indeed been suggestions that the painting may not be by Raeburn as it’s very different from his usual style. I had a smile of recognition at mention of the Black and White corridor in the General Assembly Hall of the Church of Scotland with its paintings of rather dour and staid ministers from bygone eras. I’m familiar with these paintings as I have stewarded at the General Assembly on quite a few occasions and have often thought how stern these ministers look.

I will looking at the painting of The Skating Minister much more closely the next time I go to the gallery. Is it a Raeburn? Could it have been Francis Pringle? Did he really exist? Has Michelle Sloan cracked the mystery of the real artist and their subject? Actually, I’m not sure I really want to know…

The Edinburgh Skating Club is warm and funny with more than a few surprises. It’s a very entertaining read with an unexpectedly emotional ending. I thought this book was great fun and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[John Fulton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Michelle Sloan is a superbly versatile writer; she has written picture books, books for younger readers, for teens, and now, in The Edinburgh Skating Club, has shown she’s just as accomplished in writing for adults. With a dual narrative that takes in the 18th Century of Enlightenment Edinburgh and the 21st Century, tied together by the famous picture of The Skating Minister, Sloan takes us on a journey of social experimentation and art historical detective work that delights and charms.

Alison Cockburn is a friend of David Hume (that great figure of Enlightenment Edinburgh) and his sister Katherine. She’s a widow, with a grown-up son away in Glasgow, but still athletic - or at least as athletic as the women’s fashions of the era allow, as she discovers when she has to chase Katherine’s runaway Pomeranian. She’d make an excellent member of the Edinburgh Skating Club... but that organisation, in common with many societies of the time, admits only men. A plot is hatched, with the assistance of actors and costumers... but will society at large be taken in?

Claire Sharp is an art historian who’s asked to solve a mystery - was the famous painting of the Skating Minister actually painted by Raeburn? Her investigations lead her to ask another question: WHO is the Skating Minister?

Drawing on real characters from Enlightenment Edinburgh and real controversies (the attribution of the Skating Minister) the dual narratives weave a delightful and charming story that depicts the struggles of determined women to be seen and heard in male-dominated society - both then and now - that ultimately becomes a moving tale of love in unexpected places.

[India Grant · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are three main issues which took me out of the story whilst reading this book. The author talks of watching skaters 'jump and leap'... Ice skaters did not start jumping for at least another one hundred years. Jumping in ice skates requires a toe pick and ankle support. If the character Pringle had genuinely attempted a jump he'd have broken his ankles.

Secondly, in the modern day the character Claire struggles to sell her Edinburgh flat. Edinburgh is going through a housing crisis so this is highly unlikely. Add to this... how did an art professor afford a flat which costs cost to half a million pounds in the modern day? University salaries are higher than we realise.

Thirdly, when Dr Claire Sharp is interviewed her interviewers voice comes 'from off screen'. Anyone who has ever watched a TV news interview knows that this is not how a tv interview works. The whole section is fundamentally weird.

This book was readable and had the chance to be better, but it needed an editor to take a cleaver to some of these silly mistakes.

[Jane Cornwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first saw the Raeburn painting of the skating minister at the National Gallery as a little girl, and I was amused at the formal pose and dress for such an athletic sport. (This was around the time of Torvill and Dean). Later, I had to write about this painting for a Standard Grade Art & Design critical essay. This painting is iconic. So when I saw the cover of The Edinburgh Skating Club, I had to read it. I loved this story of the painting, Edinburgh literary society, and misogyny during the Enlightenment... Also, the way female academics are treated now. It doesn't seem like very much has changed.
It was very well-researched, and as an art lover, I really appreciated the attention to detail. I enjoyed the author's warm writing style and little touches of humour. Would definitely recommend this book.