Book description
Introduced by Isobel Murray and Bob Tait. A leech, a pirate, a
predator, an anti-Christ, a public benefactor and the fisherman's
friend; such is Gillespie Strang in this remarkably powerful Scottish
novel. Gillespie is the harsh prophet of the new breed of Scottish
entrepreneur, prepared to use any means to achieve his insatiable
ambition amongst the nineteenth-century fishing communities of the west
coast. John MacDougall Hay (1881-1919) was born and raised in Tarbert,
Loch Fyne, on which he based the setting for Gillespie. A Church of
Scotland minister, his knowledge of such communities and his sombre
vision of good and evil shape this, his finest novel. 'J. Macdougall Hay
has set a tragic tale, which, for sheer relentlessness, it would be
difficult to find a parallel.' The Times 'A sprawling masterpiece which
thunders with truth and authenticity.' Life and Work 'It is a mighty
novel, demonstrating Hay's command of sensuous descriptive narrative and
symbolism.' Scotsman
