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Merryn Glover
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Of Stone and Sky Paperback – July 6, 2021

by Merryn Glover (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 133 ratings
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An enthralling mystery, family saga and Sunset Song-esque ode to the land' - The Herald, 25 Summer Reads

Winner of the Bookmark Book Festival Book of the Year

Longlisted for the Highland Book Prize

After Highland shepherd Colvin Munro disappears, a mysterious trail of his possessions is found in the Cairngorm mountains. Writing the eulogy for his memorial years later, his foundling-sister Mo seeks to discover why he vanished. Younger brother Sorley is also haunted by his absence and driven to reveal the forces that led to Colvin’s disappearance. Is their brother alive or dead?

Set on a farming estate in the upper reaches of the River Spey, Of Stone and Sky follows several generations of a shepherding family in a paean to the bonds between people, their land and way of life. It is a profound mystery, a passionate poem, a political manifesto, shot through with wisdom and humour.
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  1. Print length
    336 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Polygon
  4. Publication date
    July 6, 2021
  5. Dimensions
    5.5 x 1 x 8.75 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1846975654
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1846975653
  8. See all details
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The Amazon Book Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A paean to the bonds between people, their land and way of life."
Scots Magazine

"A rich stew of a novel, one with a Victorian complexity of plot, a family saga which is also a socio-economic survey of Highland history ... a considerable achievement."
Allan Massie, The Scotsman

"With the most wonderful blend of stark and sharp plot lines mixed with richly descriptive detailing, this is a beautifully readable novel. It stands independently outside of genres as it slips into mystery, family drama, and relationship tales and covers nearly one hundred years. Merryn Glover has an evocative pen, the descriptions sing, the sense of place flowed into my awareness and I found I couldn't stop reading. An unexpected novel, echoing the past and asking questions of the future, it really is a truly lovely read."
Liz Robinson, LoveReading

"Glover writes with a poet's clarity and economy ... each of the pieces of the jigsaw is compelling in its own right and interlink to create a picture of considerable beauty and power ... exceptionally touching."
Scottish Mountaineer

"This complex, exquisitely written and meticulously-structured work covers almost a century. It deals with love, community, family, the legacies of the past; but also with alcoholism, tragedy, betrayal and loss. It’s immensely readable – and overflowing with grace."
Inverness Courier

"The lyrical, descriptive writing style pairs perfectly with the sweeping landscape...Of Stone and Sky is brimming with life, love and just enough Scottish stuff: dialect, tradition, song and prayer."
Nicole Gemine, Dundee Courier, Scottish Book of the Week

"An enthralling mystery, family saga and Sunset Song-esque ode to the land."
The Herald, 25 Summer Reads

"A stunning story, beautifully written…[Merryn Glover] paints a richly detailed portrait of her setting. A book which deserves widespread recognition…outstanding Scottish literary fiction."
Joanne Baird, Portobello Book Blog

"A novel full of connection and mystery… with the backdrop of the beautiful Scottish Highlands, this is a story of love, wisdom, and wit."
Scottish Field

"The plot embraces a community and landscape which shapes it in the paean to connectivity."
Strathspey and Badenoch Herald

"...a perfect winter read...draw the curtains, light the fire and prepare to be transported to the Cairngorm mountains."
Liz Treacher, Kyle Chronicle

"Of Stone and Sky unfolds impressively and with a sweeping scope, dispelling romantic notions of the Highlands to acknowledge its material realities, and doing it through diverse, well-developed characters, before capping it with a satisfying ending."
The Herald

"Crafted beautifully and effects its own quiet, soulful rhythm in the main characters’ lives...In the midst of tragedy, loss and life-changing physical and emotional pain, Of Stone And Sky shepherds us to feel our part in the existence of something greater."
North Words Now

"Evokes a sense of land and belonging…a journey of introspection and self discovery. A read to be savoured slowly."
The Wee Review

"This book is sublime. It was an absolute joy to read, like drifting along a gentle stream with waves of poetic beauty constantly lapping around me."
Goodreads, 5 star review

This is a beautiful read ... the heart of the novel is the quality of writing'
Dorset Magazine

About the Author

Merryn Glover was born in a former Rana palace in Kathmandu and grew up in Nepal, India and Pakistan. Her first major work was a stage play, The Long Way Home, which was broadcast on Radio Scotland. She has written three further radio plays for Radio 4 and Radio Scotland. Merryn’s first novel, A House Called Askival (2014), was published by Freight. In 2019, she was appointed the first Writer in Residence for the Cairngorms National Park.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Polygon (July 6, 2021)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1846975654
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1846975653
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1 x 8.75 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 133 ratings

About the author

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Merryn Glover

Merryn Glover

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Merryn Glover was born in a former palace in Kathmandu and grew up in Nepal, India and Pakistan. Training as an English, drama and dance teacher in Melbourne, she has worked in schools, prisons, hospitals, libraries and with a wide range of community groups in Australia, South Asia and the UK. A life-long lover of mountains she lives in the Highlands of Scotland and was the first ever Writer in Residence for the Cairngorms National Park. She writes fiction, plays, poetry and journalism and her work has won awards, been published in anthologies, magazines and newspapers and broadcast on BBC Radio Scotland and Radio 4. Her first novel, A House Called Askival, spans 70 years of India’s recent history and her second, Of Stone and Sky, is set in the upper Spey valley. She is currently writing Hidden Fires: A Cairngorms Journey with Nan Shepherd. A skilled trainer and presenter, with experience across cultures, age groups and abilities, she is always keen to meet readers, deliver workshops and perform her work, both in person and online. Contact her at www.merrynglover.com or through Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

'An absolutely wonderful story on Radio 4 today. Atmospheric, beautiful and moving.' The late Jon Lord, of Deep Purple about Her Mother’s Songs

'I have been reading books for nearly 70 years - many very interesting - but A House Called Askival, I think is one of the best books I ever read.' Ratilal Shah, who found it in a library.

'A profoundly uplifting story' - Jane Anderson, Radio Times, about the Radio 4 play, Immaculate, available on Audible

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
133 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Esther Goldschlager
5.0 out of 5 stars One of my favorite novels - a mystery, family saga, and so much more
Reviewed in the United States on September 18, 2023
I devoured this book. Merryn Glover is an incredibly gifted storyteller. The characters are well-developed. The scene is vividly painted. This novel is so many beautiful things - a novel of much complexity and depth. I encourage you to read it.
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Kindle Customer
3.0 out of 5 stars A hard book to review.
Reviewed in the United States on August 20, 2023
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This was a strange book. It wasn't a bad book and obviously, a lot of people liked it but I wouldn't read it again. I really didn't care for most of the characters except Mo and Collin. I especially didn't care for the ending as there wasn't any closure, in my opinion. It was well written. Maybe just not my type of book.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Deep and Intriguing Novel
Reviewed in the United States on July 23, 2021
There is so much to love about this book. The cover immediately grabs you, as does the intriguing mystery that weaves its way through the storyline. The characters are beautifully and compassionately developed through intersecting first-person narration, each with a distinct voice and point of view. Though the tone of the novel is essentially more serious, it is also full of humor. Though not Scottish by birth, Glover has a deep understanding of the Highlands and has done her research. Having visited Scotland only briefly and being a lover of single malt, I enjoyed learning so much more about the life of the sheep farming community and the insular life they have led in the past, now dissolving into more modern realities. The love/hate relationship of the characters with the land and the lifestyle is evident throughout this novel. Another small, idiosyncratic matter – physically interacting with this book was delightful. I have never read a book that was so tightly bound it groaned and creaked satisfyingly upon each opening, much like the sound of boots on freshly fallen snow—such a pleasure to read on all counts and highly recommended.
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Steve Van Rooy
5.0 out of 5 stars Wordsmithing at its BEST
Reviewed in the United States on December 23, 2021
I do not read much fiction but this book was suggested by a friend and I read it. It is the type of book you must not nor should not read fast. The writing is lyrical--wordsmithing at its best. Although the plot carries itself it is the character development (in my view) that matters most. Merryn Glover did something few fictional writers have ever done for me. She has persuaded me that Scotland is a place I must visit. And when I do I shall visit the Cairngorms.
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Top reviews from other countries

John Dempster
5.0 out of 5 stars An outstanding piece of work
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 4, 2021
Verified Purchase
I was blessed and nourished in reading Merryn Glover’s remarkable new novel Of Stone and Sky. It’s set in Badenoch where the author lives and which she knows and loves intimately.

This complex, exquisitely written and meticulously-structured work covers almost a century. It deals with love, community, family, the legacies of the past; but also with alcoholism, tragedy, betrayal and loss. It’s immensely readable – and overflowing with grace.

Of Stone and Sky is a significant addition to Scottish literature, a book which gives and keeps on giving. Several Scottish novels use religious characters to explore the negative impact of Calvinism, but here there’s much more – a faith which is positive and creative.

The novel tells the story of Colvin (is there an echo of ‘Calvin’ in this name?) – a shepherd whose efforts to sustain his sheep farm are beset by struggles with the elements, the landowner, and shadows from the past. He disappears, and family and community struggle to cope with his loss.

In the following months 12 ‘signs’, Colvin’s possessions are found in different parts of the Strath and we, along with those who were left, puzzle over what they, and the place and manner of their finding reveal about the shepherd who has gone.

The novel’s richly-imagined characters include Agnes, Colvin’s mother – the sweetness of the old prayers she treasures haunts the book; Sorley, his younger brother, the returning prodigal; Alex, his sensitive, troubled son; Mo, his almost-sister whose past woundedness help heal family and community whether in pulpit or pub, who is called to lead her people to the Promised Land.

Speyside itself is a character and so, it seems to me is God the Three in One, seen in the natural beauties of the Strath, joy, music, the loveliness of lives meeting, and in hearts awakening to humility and hope.
Some characters choose to go ‘onwards and upwards, pursuing materially-focussed routes to satisfy inner yearnings. Others go ‘higher up and deeper in’ to the Narnia of the Cairngorm peaks.

Says Mo of her coming to the ministry ‘the call never left me, the Presence. Not so much a booming great voice or a pillar of fire, but more like a stray bird that turned up and wouldn’t leave…..So I listened and followed its sweet song.’

Mo’s church stands on a knoll which is one of the ‘thin places’ where the veil between heaven and earth is ‘slight as a bees wing.’ A woman, not a believer, sits in deep peace by the window with the Celtic cross and finds herself praying. And I think Merryn’s story is a thin place. As we read, we may see the Good Shepherd coming to meet us.
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Best read ever
Reviewed in Australia on October 19, 2022
Verified Purchase
Worthy of more than 5 stars. A beautifully crafted book, a story that clung to me throughout the day, so much so that I would toss whatever I was doing aside to read just a bit more. Each character utterly believable, each event in turn beautiful or heartbreaking. Having read a great many books over the years, very few have left such an impression. Colvin, Mo, Sorely, I'm sure I knew them and their story, perhaps I did.
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Anne Cruickshank
4.0 out of 5 stars It makes for a good Bookgroup read.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 26, 2022
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This is a compelling story, character driven with a strong sense of place, written in a rich, lyrical voice. It is a story of a rural community set against the backdrop of the Cairngorms with a diverse range of residents (sometimes stereotypical) from rich landowners to struggling tenant farmers. This multi-layered novel deals with multiple themes which a rural community such as "Briachan" could experience from hardship, love, marriage, birth, death, old age, dementia, autism, jealousy, greed, friendship. But at its heart is the tale of one man and his struggle with life. The author uses poetic licence with place but for the local reader it is interesting trying to work it out. The ending is a challenge and some may find it unsatisfactory as the author has left the reader to make their own judgement. There are flaws in the flow of the book but it is essentially a good read highlighting the bond between the land and its people.
2 people found this helpful
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colin wolverson
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best books I have ever read.
Reviewed in Australia on June 10, 2021
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Never have I been so moved by reading, I read this after seeing a tweet about it and although it wasnt my usual genre thought I should give it a try. What a beautifully crafted and written work. Loved it. Wonderful.
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I. Turnbull
5.0 out of 5 stars Read this in the Cairngorms if you can
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 9, 2021
Verified Purchase
This book was recommended to me by a colleague (who is a book nerd - particularly ones with a connection to the Scottish outdoors) and I got in touch with the author, Merryn, who was the Cairngorms NP first writer-in-residence. I explained I had bought her book and I was going to the Cairngorms later that week. I asked if I should read it there. Her response “absolutely”! So I did as I was told. It definitely enhanced my reading experience.

The Cairngorms and surrounding area are the background constants to this complex and exquisitely written novel. Almost a modern Norse-style saga at times, it spans almost a century of a family’s life, loss, trauma, happiness and touches on a multitude of other human emotions.

Some characters are distasteful, others sorrowful, some are quirky and some seem to cut very close to my own experiences. All are interesting.

Merryn writes in a style I can only describe as an erudite conversationalist. You want to read more, to be drawn in by her poetical writing, to learn more about the family, and the disappearance of one of the family stalwarts. The brutal reality of highland farming over the last century is also key to the story.

The ending simply leaves you wondering - but perhaps that the point; it’s an enigmatic story and is beautifully written. I’d encourage other readers to do as Merryn entreated me to do - and read it in the Cairngorms, which provides her with her inspiration.
2 people found this helpful
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