Book description
Michael Pendreich is curating an exhibition of photographs by his late,
celebrated father Angus for the National Gallery of Photography in
Edinburgh. The show will cover fifty years of Scottish life but, as he
arranges the images and writes his catalogue essay, what story is
Michael really trying to tell: his father's, his own or that of Scotland
itself? And what of the stories of the individuals captured by Angus
Pendreich's lens over all those decades? The homeless wanderer
collecting pebbles; the Second World War veteran and the Asian
shopkeeper, fighting to make better lives for their families; the
Conservative MP with a secret passion, and his drop-out sister, vengeful
against class privilege; the alcoholic intelligence officer betrayed on
all sides, not least by his own inadequacy; the activists fighting for
Scottish Home Rule ? all have their own tales to tell. Tracing the
intertwined lives of an unforgettable cast of characters, James
Robertson's new novel is a searching journey into the heart of a country
of high hopes and unfulfilled dreams, private compromises and hidden
agendas. Brilliantly blending the personal and the political, And The
Land Stay Still sweeps away the dust and grime of the postwar years to
reveal a rich mosaic of 20th-century Scottish life. James Robertson is
the author of three previous novels,
The Fanatic
, Joseph Knight
and The Testament of Gideon Mack
. Joseph Knight
was awarded the two major Scottish literary awards in 2003/4 - the
Saltire Book of the Year and the Scottish Arts Council Book of the Year
- and The Testament of Gideon Mack
was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize, picked by Richard and Judy's
Book Club, and shortlisted for the Saltire Book of the Year award.
