The Fires of Bride by Ellen Galford

The Fires of Bride

Ellen Galford

From Publishers Weekly

Set on a fictitious island in the Outer Hebrides, this is a lively, entertaining novel centering about an unusual group of women. When Lizzie (sans surname), a researcher for Scotch television, is shipped off to do a routine public-interest piece on Cailleach, an island noted for its inhabitants’ unemployment and alcohol problems, she becomes captivated by local lore and history. More interesting, though, are the islanders themselvesMaria Milleny, an artist, and her lover, Catriona MacEochan, an eccentric doctor and clan chieftan who lives in a ramshackle castle, experimenting with mysticism and stirring controversy with her more unorthodox antics; a rabidly traditional priest; an archeologist who is drawn to the ruins of a convent that had harbored mother-goddess worshippers; and a half-real ghost that puts in occasional, enigmatic appearances. Interwoven with their stories is a fascinating though unlikely subplot about a legendary goddess, alleged to be Christ’s twin sister. Although the characters often seem overly quirky and the story rambles in places, the narrative voice is engaging, at once witty and prosaic. Galford (Moll Cutpurse) blends sardonic humor and an understanding of human nature and bonds to create an uncommon and appealing novel.

Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

When Maria Milleny, an unemployed London artist, accepts an invitation to visit Dr. Catriona MacEochan on the remote Scottish island of Cailleach, she finds that her eccentric hostess dabbles in the occult. Maria is charmed by the island, where for hundreds of years a female deity and later a female saint, St. Bride, were worshiped by an order of women who kept an eternal flame alive in their honor. This excellent feminist/lesbian novel by the author of Moll Cutpurse ( LJ 7/85) captures both the mysticism and coldness of an ancient land and its troubled history. It is also a warm, humorous look at a secluded community where dour Protestantism clashes with modern ideas that are in fact more in tune with the distant past. Christine King, SUNY at Stony Brook Lib.

Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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