Overview

East Lothian is 'The Garden of Scotland' and the setting for this delightfully idiosyncratic story of country life. Here unfold the ups and downs of four generations of one farming family from the northern Orkney Isles, who move to the little farm of Cuddy Neuk in the south of Scotland just before the outbreak of the Second World War. A young Peter, the 'peedie' (wee) boy who sets his heart on filling his somewhat eccentric grandfather's straw-lined wellies, grows up to run the family farm and become a farmer father to his own sons, putting his ability to see the funny side of things to good use as adversities crop up with intriguing reality along an unpredictably tortuous path through life. Often hilarious, always heartfelt and at times sad, this is a book that will appeal, not only to those who are interested in the Scotland of today, but also to people who recall, or have been told about, rural ways that are gone forever.

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9780957306226

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Reviews

Kerr draws the reader into his vivid and fondly remembered past. (Library Journal - USA). The story of his boyhood, a family and its farms, which is amusing, interesting, moving and true to life. (The Scotsman). His infectious sense of humour is touchingly offset by some sad momemts, which he treats with an understatement that makes them all the more moving. (Amazon UK Review). Kerr is disarmingly honest, not only about himself, but in the character studies of his extended family - and we leave them, having shared in their tears and laughter over the years. (The Scots Magazine). A great read, which takes into account experiences from everyday life, both humorous and touching. (East Lothian Life). Combining travel, family life, country practicalities and humour. (Home Plus Scotland).

Author Information

Scotland's Peter Kerr became established as a bestselling author via his award-winning 'Snowball Oranges' series of narrative travelogues. The books recount his family's often hilarious experiences while attempting to grow oranges for a living - an occupation of which they knew absolutely nothing - on a little farm in the mountains of the Spanish island of Mallorca during the1980s. Those five books and their prequel, the set-in-Scotland 'Thistle Soup', sell in large numbers worldwide and have been translated into several languages. Now concentrating on writing fiction, Peter's stories, which all contain his hallmark brand of dry humour, range in theme from the offbeat 'Bob Burns Investigates' mysteries to his first historical novel, 'Song of the Eight Winds', an epic tale of Medieval Spain. In his venturesome, roller coaster ride through life, Peter has been a Civil Service Executive Officer (for eighteen reluctant months!), professional jazz musician, record producer, farmer of beef cattle, and rookie Mallorcan orange grower - which is where we came in. Married with two grown-up sons, he now lives back in his home county of East Lothian, 'The Garden of Scotland'.

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