The Curiosity Cabinet: Catherine Czerkawska: Amazon.com: Kindle Store

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Book Description

‘The island reminds her of those magic painting books. The shop here used to sell them. You would dip your brush in water and pale, clear colours would emerge from the page, as this green and blue landscape is emerging from the mist.’

‘She saw before her a small but strongly built man, in his thirties perhaps, wearing highland dress, bare legs showing beneath the big blue plaid. He reminded her of the highlanders she had seen on the streets of Edinburgh where sometimes, dressed in their outlandish clothes, they were perceived as crude figures of fun and sometimes, bristling with weaponry and with the drink taken, as dangerous incomers. Manus was no figure of fun although she could see that he might be dangerous, a better friend than an enemy, perhaps.’

When Alys revisits the beautiful Hebridean island of Garve after an absence of twenty five years, she is captivated by the embroidered casket on display in her hotel. She discovers that it belongs to Donal, her childhood playmate, and soon they resume their old friendship. Interwoven with the story of their growing love, is the darker tale of Henrietta Dalrymple, kidnapped by the formidable Manus McNeill and held on Garve against her will. With three hundred years separating them, the women are linked by the cabinet and its contents, by the tug of motherhood and by the magic of the island itself. But Garve has its secrets, past and present. Donal must learn to trust Alys enough to confide in her and, like Henrietta before her, Alys must earn the right to belong.

What people have said about this book:
‘Heartwarming, realistic and page turning’ – Lorraine Kelly.
‘A powerful story about love and obligation… a persuasive novel, very well written’ - John Burnside.
‘A stunning Hebridean setting’ – the Sunday Herald.

The Curiosity Cabinet was one of three novels shortlisted for the prestigious 2005 Dundee Book Prize. It was published in the same year by Polygon but has been out of print for some time. The new cover design for the Kindle edition is by distinguished Scottish textile artist Alison Bell, who interpreted her own response to the book as follows: ‘The narrative works on many layers of memory and time, some hazy, some forgotten, but the island’s presence is constant, as a refuge and a place to grow and start afresh. I wanted the colours to be soft, subtle, muted, with hints of turquoise, like the sea up there. It is a gentle book which drifts into the mind’s eye as each chapter unfolds.’

Catherine Czerkawska is an award winning author of historical and contemporary novels, short stories and many plays for the stage and for BBC Radio 4. She loves the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, Scottish history and music. When not writing, she also finds time to collect and deal in antique and vintage textiles, especially those with a Scottish or Irish provenance. She's fascinated by costume history and often finds that antique textiles: embroideries, lace, silks and satins, find their way into her fiction.

#outer_postBodyPS { display: none; } #psGradient { display: none; } #psPlaceHolder { display: none; } #psExpand { display: none; } ‘The island reminds her of those magic painting books. The shop here used to sell them. You would dip your brush in water and pale, clear colours would emerge from the page, as this green and blue landscape is emerging from the mist.’

‘She saw before her a small but strongly built man, in his thirties perhaps, wearing highland dress, bare legs showing beneath the big blue plaid. He reminded her of the highlanders she had seen on the streets of Edinburgh where sometimes, dressed in their outlandish clothes, they were perceived as crude figures of fun and sometimes, bristling with weaponry and with the drink taken, as dangerous incomers. Manus was no figure of fun although she could see that he might be dangerous, a better friend than an enemy, perhaps.’

When Alys revisits the beautiful Hebridean island of Garve after an absence of twenty five years, she is captivated by the embroidered casket on display in her hotel. She discovers that it belongs to Donal, her childhood playmate, and soon they resume their old friendship. Interwoven with the story of their growing love, is the darker tale of Henrietta Dalrymple, kidnapped by the formidable Manus McNeill and held on Garve against her will. With three hundred years separating them, the women are linked by the cabinet and its contents, by the tug of motherhood and by the magic of the island itself. But Garve has its secrets, past and present. Donal must learn to trust Alys enough to confide in her and, like Henrietta before her, Alys must earn the right to belong.

What people have said about this book:
‘Heartwarming, realistic and page turning’ – Lorraine Kelly.
‘A powerful story about love and obligation… a persuasive novel, very well written’ - John Burnside.
‘A stunning Hebridean setting’ – the Sunday Herald.

The Curiosity Cabinet was one of three novels shortlisted for the prestigious 2005 Dundee Book Prize. It was published in the same year by Polygon but has been out of print for some time. The new cover design for the Kindle edition is by distinguished Scottish textile artist Alison Bell, who interpreted her own response to the book as follows: ‘The narrative works on many layers of memory and time, some hazy, some forgotten, but the island’s presence is constant, as a refuge and a place to grow and start afresh. I wanted the colours to be soft, subtle, muted, with hints of turquoise, like the sea up there. It is a gentle book which drifts into the mind’s eye as each chapter unfolds.’

Catherine Czerkawska is an award winning author of historical and contemporary novels, short stories and many plays for the stage and for BBC Radio 4. She loves the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, Scottish history and music. When not writing, she also finds time to collect and deal in antique and vintage textiles, especially those with a Scottish or Irish provenance. She's fascinated by costume history and often finds that antique textiles: embroideries, lace, silks and satins, find their way into her fiction.

Product Details

File Size: 497 KB
Print Length: 260 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1904598420
Publisher: Wordarts; 1 edition (August 7, 2011)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B005GEYW4A
Text-to-Speech: Enabled

X-Ray: Enabled

Lending: Enabled
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,033 Free in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Free in Kindle Store)
- #27 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Literary Fiction
- #29 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Historical

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Customer Reviews

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“ I read this in one day, doing chores and coming back as soon as I could. ” kindle lover | 4 reviewers made a similar statement

“ The skill of this talented story teller is present in every word, she weaves a kind of magic, and makes beautiful pictures in your mind. ” jaffareadstoo | 5 reviewers made a similar statement

“ This is quite simply the best book I've read in years. ” Old Learner | 3 reviewers made a similar statement

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful romance... February 9, 2012

By jaffareadstoo

Format:Kindle Edition

When Alys returns to the Hebridean island of Garve she feels comforted by the strength of her childhood memories, of holidays spent exploring rock pools, and the feel of the silvery white sand between her toes. Re-discovering fragments of herself, she sets out to search for the secret of a beautiful embroidered cabinet which is on display in her hotel. Her curiosity is encouraged by the deepening friendship with her childhood friend, Donal, who has remained on the island, and who is the guardian of the curiosity cabinet's secrets.
Three hundred years earlier, Henrietta Dalrymple is forcibly removed from her life in Edinburgh, a life she shares with her baby son, but when she is kidnapped and held against her will on Garve she finds life on the small island totally abhorrent. Her captor is Manus McNeil, Laird of the isle and a highlander to boot, fearsome, devilish and ultimately controlling. Henrietta is lost and alone but takes comfort in small friendships, as gradually the relationship between captor and captive becomes something more meaningful.
Beautifully written, this dual time romance captures time and place completely. The interwoven love stories blend together quite seamlessly, both strands of the story are equally appealing, neither one outshining the other. The spirit of Garve is captured perfectly, the imagery is so unique, you may find yourself gasping as you see wild swans fly across the sky, and the tang of seaweed, and the hint of a sea breeze remain with you as you turn each page.
The skill of this talented story teller is present in every word, she weaves a kind of magic, and makes beautiful pictures in your mind.

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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Curl up and visit the islands March 16, 2012

By someproseandcon

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

A sweet and satisfying romance with alternating chapters and heroines, Alys from modern Edinburgh and Henrietta from seventeenth-century Edinburgh. Both women struggle to understand the people, traditions, and loyalties of Garve, a Hebridean island. Nothing terribly new here, but the writing is pleasant, and the plot and shifting perspectives make the story quietly compelling.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Read June 30, 2012

By D.A.Thompson

I have just finished reading The Curiosity Cabinet and have thoroughly enjoyed every page I was quite sad to have to leave The island and return to reality. Having been lucky enough to have holidayed on the beautiful island that this enchanting story was based on I felt as though I had been transported back to Gigha. The Curiosity Caninet is two stories that although hundreds of years apart run parallel in so many ways two beautiful love stories of Manus and Henrietta and of Donal and Alys that make this book a true gem. Beautifully written and highly recommended .