“I wish the lark had words so she could tell me all she knows”
- Book: The Skylark’s Secret
- Location: Loch Ewe, Scottish Highlands
- Author: Fiona Valpy
Oh Heck! Why is it that all these amazing 5 star books I am reading just lately, involve copious amounts of tissues and many tears! Although I really should qualify that a little, to say that by the end of the story, the balance between tears of sorrow and tears of joy, had been somewhat restored!
This is a story within a story and to be honest, either of them would have stood up to individual, independent scrutiny and still come away rated highly by me. Together, they inexorably drew me in and took me on a unique journey, far away from my home, to another pace and way of life that to be honest, I didn’t want to leave behind when the book was finished.
Fiona has researched her premise well and thoroughly, so that whilst the characters and events described in the story are fictitious, they are all inspired by and based on, true events which took place at Loch Ewe during WWII, its connection to the Russian Arctic Convoys and its transformation to a busy naval base and home to thousands of allied military personnel from around the world.
Sure to get under the skin of even the most seasoned reader, The Skylark’s Secret, stirred my spirit and honed all my senses, so that right from the word go! I could imagine myself in the remote crofting village of Aultbea, on the shores of Loch Ewe in The Scottish Highlands, both in those saddest of war-torn years and in the 1970s of Lexie’s homecoming! For me, a well blended mix of fiction and non-fiction in the storyline, offered a more rounded, textured reading experience and the well balanced mix of past and present, secret within secret, struck the balance perfectly between romance and history, tradition and humour.
This multi-layered, well-constructed story, is beautifully written, almost lyrical in its detailing and visually descriptive narrative of the stunning Scottish scenery, blended seamlessly with its overnight transformation to busy naval base, with all the ensuing upheavals, disasters and heart-breaking moments this brings with it; always of course balanced with some fun and laughter to ease the stresses and tensions away. Fast forward to the 1970s, when peace has once again been restored to this sleepy village, and it becomes a haven and refuge for Lexie and her baby daughter Daisy, as they return to the cottage of Lexie’s youth, to reminisce and discover her true heritage, heal mind and body to find a new sense of belonging, away from the hustle and bustle of the London lights.
From an author who is clearly an effortlessly consummate and compelling storyteller, who commands the pages with total authority and confidence, this profoundly touching, dual timeline story is seamlessly and fluidly narrated in two voices, in alternating chapters, by Flora and her daughter Lexie.
For Flora this is a story of growing up with her father and brother in the keepers cottage of the Ardtuath Estate, where life is simple for both children and the son of the Lord and Lady of the Estate, Alec. Romance blossoms and the added power of friendship between Flora, Bridie and Mairi, makes this small group formidable allies in peace and war. Flora has a benefactor in Lady Helen, however social mores and traditions run deep and dark in the eyes of Lord Charles and when forbidden fruit means that those ‘class’ lines have been irrevocably crossed, the consequences are disastrous for so many.
Lexie hopes to fill in some of the blank pages from a childhood which was only ever she and her mother, with her many unanswered questions being met with a stony wall of silence. Flora’s friends Bridie and Mairi are still alive and reluctantly agree to fill in any gaps in her own and Lexie’s history, although it transpires that not even they have all the answers. Lexie reconnects with people she had turned her back on, when she had left this safe haven for fortune and fame, coming to appreciate what a blessing genuine friendships are and how home is always where the heart is.
The exquisitely well drawn and developed characters, are all easy to connect with and become invested in, as there is a genuine synergy between them, despite the obviously inevitable ‘nosy neighbour’ syndrome of small village life. War has only served to make them a stronger community and defined their sense of purpose and future, so that although they still hold on strong to many of their core traditions, including their love of music and the sea, they are open to new blood being introduced to their streets and working as old and young together, finding new ways to blend old beliefs with modern ideas.
There is one constant presence throughout the story of both Flora and Lexie, who comes to play a pivotal role in providing the final missing piece of this jigsaw puzzle. Will this make or break them? A delicious mix of character and story driven writing, which left me holding my breath, with my fingers crossed, until the very last page.
Please wait...
