The Other Side of Stone (Hardback: 9781838080013)

Description

‘Linda Cracknell’s The Other Side of Stone is a beautiful and haunting collection of stories centred on the history of a Perthshire woollen mill. At once a curse, a lament, a radical cry, each narrative thread weaves its magic to make a spellbinding whole. A beguiling and perfectly crafted novella coloured by the bracken and the bluebells of a Scottish autumn and spring.’ Mary Paulson-Ellis, author of The Other Mrs Walker

‘History and imagination embrace in ways that are both rewarding and informative. This collection is very simply extraordinary: beautiful and fun to read.’ Sara Maitland, author of A Book of Silence

The latest work by Saltire-shortlisted Linda Cracknell, The Other Side of Stone centres around a Perthshire woollen mill, revisiting it over three centuries through characters as diverse as a 19th century stone mason 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: 9781838080013
Number of Pages: 152
Publication Date: 31 March 2021
Format: Hardback