stargazing by linda gillard

I was really captivated by Stargazing. First of all the dual settings of Edinburgh and Skye appealed to me. The simplicity of Keir's life on Skye contrasts well with Marianne's metropolitan existence in the Scottish capital. But the main pull is the compelling writing. Narrated by various voices (Keir, Marianne, Louisa and a 3rd person narrator), with each voice having its own unique style the pace moves along briskly. Marianne, a fiercely independent blind woman who was born unable to see; Louisa, her unmarried sister who makes her living by writing romantic novels and shares a flat with Marianne; Keir, an oilman from the Highlands, divides his time between oilfields of the Arctic, his humble cottage on Skye and a more mundane life with his sister in Edinburgh; and finally there is Garth, Louisa's manager, a cheerful young man who hides his Welsh roots and privileged English public schooling with Mockney vowels and by dressing as a Goth. Relying on senses other than sight to make sense of the world around her, Marianne cannot comprehend colour or scale. Keir, a man of extraordinary sensitivity, translates the world he sees using his knowledge of classical music which is also shared by Marianne. I listened to some of Rautavaara's Cantus Arcticus and Beethoven's Hammerklavier on Youtube on the strength of this book. The book is a delight and I would read it again and recommend it if you want a journey to the north without having to wrap up in layers of fleece.