Star Gazing

I'm very envious of Linda Gillard.  Although she now lives in Glasgow, she spent seven years living here (scroll down to the middle of the page, and you'll see what I mean) on the Isle of Skye.  If you're a regular reader here you'll know I have a fascination with islands and coastlines, so I'm drawn to Linda's books and they are a bit escapist for me.  Two of the three novels she's published that I've read are set partially or wholly on the Isle of Skye.

Emotional Geology is an "offbeat love story" between an older woman and a younger man both dealing with emotional or mental illness issues.  I wrote about it here.  I was especially appreciative of this novel as the heroine is a textile artist, and it's not often you find a needleworker making an appearance in fiction.  Linda is not afraid to deal with sensitive issues in her books, which I think sets her work apart from so much else that's being written these days.  Or maybe its the manner in which she deals with those issues--in a straightforward unapologetic way.

Star Gazing was a unique reading experience for me.  Marianne, on the wrong side of forty, is blind.  She's a rather prickly character, but I liked her.  Imagine setting a story on the gorgeous Isle of Skye and then plunking down a blind character amidst all that beauty.  Strangely it works.  Actually the book is set in Edinburgh as well, which I imagine to be equally as lovely in its own stately and historical way.  This is the first time I can remember where I've read a novel from the perspective of someone who's been blind her entire life.  She has no frame of reference for all the things, big or small, that most of us take for granted every day.  Until Keir came along.  But I'll get to him in a minute.

Many years earlier Marianne was married and expecting a baby when tragedy struck.  Her husband, an oil man, was killed in an explosion during an accident on an offshore oil rig.  Dealing with the turmoil and anguish of her husband's death, made worse as the last words they spoke were angry words, caused her to miscarry.  So she lives with her sister, a writer who's made her name and a reasonably decent income producing a series of vampire romance novels.  It sounds a bit quirky, but Louisa was a great character and a nice foil to Marianne.  Marianne lives as independently as she can, and it was interesting to see what sort of coping mechanisms she used to get by in a seeing world.  She must rely almost entirely on her other senses, which are heightened due to her blindness, to navigate life.

One cold, wintry night she meets handsome and rugged Keir quite literally on her doorstep.  They meet again by chance at the opera, and though neither is quite sure, the reader knows they're meant for each other.  Really this story seemed to me to be about second chances.  Sometimes first love isn't the only or best kind of love.  Sometimes its what comes later in life that's the most fulfilling and real, only sometimes life wears you down so you might not know it right away.  You only need to be willing to take the chance.  Marianne and Keir click, their mutual love of music drawing them together. For Marianne music is how she can "see" things.

"Music gives some inkling of landscape.  The sheer scale of orchestral music, the volume and the detail, can put me in touch with something much bigger than myself, take me beyond my personal boundaries, the world that I experience with my fingertips or my cane.  Music tells me there is a wider world and what it might be like."

I'm hopeless when it comes to music, but had I planned better I would have looked for the works mentioned in the book and listened along.  Keir helps Marianne "see" the beauty of his home on Skye, night stars included, and so many other things as well with the aid of music.  Even my own imagination of what Skye must be like was broadened by the descriptions.  Now I just need to go there myself.

Star Gazing was a wonderfully entertaining novel.  The Isle of Skye might have been a bit of an enticement for me, but once again Linda won me over with a sensitive story of two very real and appealing characters.  I became so wrapped up in Marianne's life that I admit I even peeked at the last few pages in anticipation of the outcome.  And it doesn't hurt that there is a lovely romance, though  perhaps not always a perfect romance at the center of things.  Happily I've read that a fourth book has been written--"It's a mystery about an eccentric family with secrets. It may owe something to my admiration for Daphne du Maurier."  I can see already that it's going to be another must-read (I wonder when it's due to be published?...).  While I'm waiting though, I can see it's time to tackle A Lifetime Burning.  I've heard many good things about it, but I suspect the subject matter is far more heavy than her more recent novels.  In any case Linda Gillard is a writer I can heartily recommend.          

Comments

[Matt]

Skye has historically been a very strong Gaelic speaking area. The island's beautiful sceneries and quiet fishing villages would be perfect for writing and reading. I'll look up Linda Gillard. The novel sounds very interesting.

This quote comes to mind when I read about Marianne and Kerr's love:

"If music be the food of love, play on."

[Jessica]

Have you ever read The Shipping News? I love Annie Proulx. Sounds like you would too.

[Liz B]

What a lovely overview of the two novels. I'm sure you'll enjoy A Lifetime Burning - it's compulsive reading and very well done.

[Linda Gillard]

Thanks very much for your lovely review, Danielle. I wish there was a way readers could listen to the music as they read STAR GAZING! A CD with the book would have been fun. But I understand Rautavaara's CANTUS ARCTICUS (the concerto for birds & orchestra) is downloadable from the net and it's also available very cheaply from Naxos. It's the most magical piece of music. I'm sure I really didn't do it justice.

I don't think you need to be familiar with the music in the book to enjoy it. I deliberately chose pieces people wouldn't know well. In fact some readers have assumed the Rautavaara piece is fictional! ;-)

[Andi]

Her work sounds just fantastic. I doubt my library has her stuff (very small, very limited), but I'm gonna look and see! I feel an ILL coming on if they don't. You really do enable my library list, Danielle. I love it!

[Danielle]

Matt--That's a great quote and very fitting. I would love to visit Skye--it sounds so beautiful there--I can easily picture myself happily visiting! :) And I've enjoyed both of Linda's novels that I've read and hope to read her other one soon.
Jessica--I have not yet read anything by Annie Proulx (only the short story Brokeback Mountain). I've heard mixed things about her writing, but I do have The Shipping News--it's another novel set on the coast--I need to give it a try!
Liz B--I've had A Lifetime Burning now for a while, and now I think I am in the mood for it. I've heard others say it is their favorite novel of Linda's, so I expect I am in for a treat with it!
Linda--I was wondering if the Rautavaara work was real or not, but I figured it must be. It sounds so unusual I am going to have to look for it. Maybe I'll request the library order it, or break down and download it myself. I loved the idea of music as a way of getting a visual--or as much of a visual as Marianne could get. I was thinking of what it must be like for someone who has never had vision to be able to understand what something looked like--it's really sort of hard to wrap your mind around the concept. It was a wonderful book!
Andi--I'm not sure how readily available Linda's books are here--Amazon lists them, but they don't have them in stock from the way things look. ILL might be the best bet. I'm sure the Book Depository must have them and they offer free shipping, too! :)

[Dorothy W.]

I must say I would love to live in a place like that -- I can see why this book would be so attractive!

[Danielle]

Dorothy--Of course the setting is just one aspect of Linda's books that I am drawn to, but it does feed the imagination to picture living in such a setting. The pictures I've seen of Skye are gorgeous!

[Lesley]

I hadn't heard of this author before, but her books sound very good. I grew up by the ocean (Newfoundland and Nova Scotia) and I still really miss it. Now the closest coast to me is about a 3 hour drive.

[Danielle]

Lesley--Lucky you--Nova Scotia is another place I would love to visit (and it's closer!!). How could you leave? But I suppose there are more job opportunities other places? I've really enjoyed Linda's books and hope you get a chance to read her sometime.