All We Hold Dear [Paperback]

Kathryn Lynn Davis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 1996

Kathryn Lynn Davis returns to wild, idyllic Glen Affric, home to the memorable characters in "Too Deep for Tears," and draws us into a world of suspense and haunting emotion....

During the spring of 1988, on a small Scottish island battered into stark beauty by the sea, eighteen-year-old Eva Crawford leaves her childhood home to unearth the truth about herself, her mother, and her family. In a spare Glasgow bedroom, Eva finds a worn, yellowed journal and a faded scrap of ribbon. She is soon spellbound by the story of her ancestors: Ailsa Rose Sinclair, who rejoiced in the paradise of Glen Affric...Ian Fraser, Ailsa's never-forgotten first love...Alanna Sinclair, Ailsa's daughter, who met the love of her life in the peace of Glen Affric. Each had to confront their own demons, old loyalties and new betrayals, as a devastating tragedy loomed....

One hundred years later, Eva Crawford must learn to forgive the mother she never knew, to move toward the future, and the man who wants to open her heart to the greatest treasure her family can offer....

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Readers who loved the bestselling Too Deep for Tears will also be ensnared by this ambitious sequel, once they swallow such overwritten sentences as the novel's opening line: "The sea sang and snarled and wept in a voice that echoed the ancient cry of mermaids in their shimmering isolation." Davis returns to beautiful, wild Glen Affric in the Scottish highlands as the primary setting of her passionate story about a young girl's search for the truth about her ancestors. The novel, which alternates between the 20th and 19th centuries, opens in 1988 on a small Scottish island where?on her 18th birthday and at the request of her biological mother, Celia Ward, who died many years ago?Eva Crawford is told by her parents that she was adopted as a baby. In a letter to Eva, Celia invites her daughter to learn more about her past by contacting her friend, Eilidh, in Glasgow. There Eilidh gives her Celia's ebony Chinese chest, which contains a journal written by one of Eva's ancestors, Ailsa Rose, in 1882. The journal, which unfolds in sections throughout the novel, depicts the colorful inhabitants in Glen Affric, a place of extraordinary raw beauty. Davis's 19th-century characters are so richly drawn that it's difficult to leave them when she returns to the less colorful Eva. Still, the intertwining of the two times creates an affecting story. Major ad/promo; Simon & Schuster Audio.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Davis' young heroine, Eva Crawford, travels from her childhood home in the Hebrides to the Highlands of Scotland because of the startling revelation that the solid folk Eva always believed to be her parents had adopted her as an infant. They were deliberately selected by Eva's dying mother, Celia Ward, in the belief that their down-to-earth qualities could combat the fey nature of her own ancestors. Ironically, Eva, blessed with second sight and the ability to commune with nature, grew up wondering why she felt so different from her peers and parents. Eva's mother also left a family chest filled with journals. So the search is interspersed with stories of the loves, losses, and battles of the family in the glen. This diverting tale is neatly spun, yet the overwhelming power of the land upon the senses is played far beyond the hilt. Still, sentimental readers, especially those who enjoyed the prequel Too Deep for Tears (1988), will savor this historical romance. Denise Perry Donavin --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 592 pages
• Publisher: Pocket (August 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671736043
• ISBN-13: 978-0671736040
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.1 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,383,587 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for every woman it is truelly all we hold dear, February 29, 2004

By 

"cksadler1" (Lisbon, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: All We Hold Dear (Paperback)

Are you a mother and a wife? Have you ever asked yourself Why Me? Read this book and you will find your answer. K.L. Davis is awe inspiring she is an unbeleivable story teller. I cried,laughed,danced, and sang with the remarkable women in this story. A must read for every woman. And every young girl becoming a woman.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing, November 21, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: All We Hold Dear (Paperback)

I read this book 1st not realizing that is was part of a series. I strongly suggest reading Too Deep for Tears first. This is an amazing book that takes you to the green hills of Scotland. I felt as if I was a part of the Rose family. It made me feel the joy and sorrow of the characters. If you want to take yourself to another time and world this book is a good read.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One word can descibe this book - unforgetable!!, March 19, 1999

By 

Melissa, ([e-mail]) (NSW, Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: All We Hold Dear (Paperback)

After reading "Too Deap For Tears" two years ago i seached everywhere for this book. When i finaly got my hands on it i couldn't put it down. Anyone planing to read this book, do yourself a favor and make sure "Too Deep For Tears" is read and understood first. It was a bit hard to understand at first but after that the characters form their own world, it's not like you are reading the book, it is more like you are watching from above while feeling the emotions flow deep from each and every person. They were almost real. After reading this i found myself wishing i was Ailsa. She was so real to me. The events unfold not how you would think or hope they would. It raises the questions on who is to blame, what would have happened if..... You find yourself wishing you were there and changing things and making them better. Constant thoughts of "if only...." keeping coming up, but such is life. get out the hankicheifs.... this is amazing.