The first book in a historical fiction trilogy written by author Penny McPherson, which was inspired during her years living amid the rugged beauty of Skye, will be published on March 1.
Titled The Colours of the Sky’, the book is the debut novel by the 59-year-old teacher and has been published by Shore Path Press.
Born in Stranraer, Penny was inspired to write the novel partly by her time living in
Tarskavaig on Skye and also by her experience as a teacher specialising in EAL {English as an Additional Language}. Teaching primary and secondary pupils, including those displaced from their homes due to war or other circumstances, gave her a life-long interest in how place and dislocation impact on the individual’s sense of self.
The trilogy tells the story of one girl’s life. Born in the 1870s, Agnes’ early years are spent in the fictional crofting township of Auchnavaig, on Skye’s southern coast. Later, she marries a young doctor and moves to Scotland’s industrial central belt, where she witnesses the impact of hardship amidst the squalor and tragedy of mill-town life.
The book explores themes of belonging, grief, faith, love and friendship, as well as issues around loss and childbirth in late 19th century Scotland. Book two, The Colours of the Heart, is due for completion this summer.
Penny, who is also an artist and now lives with her husband Graham, a photographer and musician, above the windswept shores of Luce Bay, in Galloway, close to where she was born, paid tribute to the impact that Skye had on her.
She said: “Skye’s breathtakingly fierce beauty draws forth stories, both real and imagined, that demand to be told. It creates something of a personal ceilidh, where the gathering of heart, soul and mind is easy and never tires of another tale, another song.’
Book details:
Title: The Colours of the Sky
ISBN: 978-1-7384097-0-9
Format: Paperback
Size: Novel 127mm x 203mm. 487 pages.
Language: English
Genre: Fiction, Historical, Scotland
Edition: First
Retail Price: £10.99
Publisher: Shore Path Press
Launch: 1st March 2024
You can find out more, including how to purchase the book, at https://pennymcpherson.com/
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