About This Book: Grietje van der Meer's aspiration is to become master of her own painting studio in early 18th century Delft. Freed from a life of labour by the good fortune of meeting a Scottish Merchant who places his trust in her, she uncovers within herself a strong desire to help those around her: an aged painter, an unmarried girl with a child, an attractive lawyer, and a comely young maid ... oh, yes, and Katje. Yet, she yearns to set her easel by the shore and paint winter seascapes. Grietje struggles to resolve her conflicting emotions.
Penurious schoolmaster, David Miller, tragically lost his wife and the mother of his only daughter, Rose. They both suffer under the auspices of an authoritarian church, and a bigoted and corrupt council. Constrained by life in a small town where everyone knows everyone else's business, David longs for the freedom for himself and his daughter to find a true sense of purpose. An unexpected family legacy offers a route to securing his family and his own ambition, but fate sets his daughter on a different path.
Rose Miller promised her dying mother that she would heed the good word of God and look after her father. Moving to a new school in Kirkcaldy, she befriends a boy in her class called Adam Smith. Their friendship inspires Rose to greater ambition.
Two masters, a girl and a boy, a sea apart, become inextricably linked as they inspire and educate a new generation of enlightened young minds.
About the Author:
Tom Binnie is a novelist and short story writer. He enjoys walk, particularly around historical sites and lives in Scotland and Cambridgeshire.
★ He was placed 2nd runner-up in the 2021 Scottish Association of Writer's Barbara Hammond Trophy Award. ★Other Books by the same Author: To the Cry of the Sand'ling
Reviews for 'To the Cry of the Sand'ling': 'An engaging mystery adventure, full of humour and pathos.'
'A wonderfully absorbing and subtle tale.'
'Full of character and human understanding.'
