The Other Side of Stone (Paperback: 9781838080044)

Description

‘A remarkable novella, interweaving threads of disparate lives over two centuries. Just as the tweeds that are produced at the mill – first by rural workers and water power, later by deafening machinery – have their own unique weft and warp, so the loosely connected tales come together to create a satisfying whole, encompassing personal relationships, political upheavals and the shadow of war.’  The Scotsman

The paperback edition of The Other Side of Stone, a novella which centres around a Perthshire woollen mill, revisiting it over three centuries through characters as diverse as a 19th century stonemason and modern-day architect. The primary timeline follows Catharine, a cotton spinner from Paisley and fierce suffragette, who has followed her husband home to the village where he’s taken on a job at the local mill. Both militant members of the Labour Movement, it is through her developing connection to the mill that the intricate interweaving of the other stories is revealed.

While fictional, the novella draws on many real histories of local mills, and offers a fascinating insight into the long-term impact of industrialisation upon rural Scotland, as well as the struggle for women’s rights.

ISBN: 9781838080044
Number of Pages: 144
Publication Date: 31 July 2021
Format: Paperback