Echoes of the Past
and
Hope for the Future
Book Summary Echoes of the Past
Can a family thrive after the death of a domineering patriarch?
Buckie, Scotland 1912
One year after Weem Lowrie’s death, his wife Jess and children are still living in his shadow, bound by the strict decisions he imposed when he was alive.
Eldest son James and his sister Bethany are trapped in marriages arranged to bolster the value of the family’s fishing business. Youngest son, Innes, struggles with the memory of his father’s disapproval over his failure to become a fisherman.
James longs to take over as skipper of the family fishing boat, The Fidelity, rather than working for his uncle. Bethany dreams of escaping from her role as a wife and stepmother to two young children and Innes longs for acceptance and respect from his siblings and to be seen as a man. But pursuing these aims only seems to invite new conflict into their lives.
And when Jess’s childhood sweetheart returns to Buckie, his attempts to help the family using his wealth and influence seem destined to cause even more chaos.
Echoes of the Past by Evelyn Hood is the inaugural volume in The Lowrie Family series. The author's
straightforward style makes the story easy to read. She effectively brings
Buckie in 1912 to life and clearly researched the setting as well as the time
period well. The characters are well-developed and portray life by the sea
accurately, with particularly notable details about the women’s experiences. I liked visiting Buckie in Echoes of the Past and am eager to see what comes next in Hope for the Future.
Can a family escape it’s dark past to find happiness?
Buckie, Scotland 1918
Brothers James and Innes Lowrie return home to their wives and families after the war, Innes working for a shipbuilder and James returning to sea and the family's fishing business. Sister Bethany Pate and Innes have sons and heirs to go into the family business, but James does not. Innes takes in orphaned Etta Mulholland, adding to his already large family.
In 1931, as the new generation take the helm and pursue various careers in Buckie’s fishing industry, some are content to take on the roles their parents have chosen for them, while others rail against these strictures. Adam Pate longs to join the man he knows as his uncle, James, as a fisherman, while his mother wants him to study at university and to find a life far from the danger of discovering dark family secrets.
Trouble brews when Etta Mulholland begins work as a herring gutter, guided by her cousins, but new relationships set various family members against one another, and the family’s fortunes are threatened by external forces and the sea itself.
Is there light and happiness ahead for the hardworking families of Buckie or will discord from the past weave into their futures.
Hope for the Future by Evelyn Hood is the second book in The Lowrie Family series. While Hope for the Future could be read as a standalone, I recommend reading Echoes of the Past before embarking on this story. This story begins when the two brothers return to Scotland after World War I. I thought the story was well-written with developed characters. It is an emotional story. The author vividly depicts the realities faced by those who depend on the sea for their livelihood. The temporal shifts within the narrative prompted reflection, and the conclusion was particularly moving and poignant. Hope for the Future is an agreeable and touching Scottish saga.
The
Avid Reader
*I voluntarily
read an advanced copy of this book. I am not required to leave a
review. The comments and opinions expressed are strictly my own.
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