**A grand baronial house on Loch Ness, a quirky small-town bookseller,
and a single mom looking for a fresh start all come together in this
witty and warm-hearted novel by New York Times bestselling author
Jenny Colgan.
**
Desperate to escape from London, single mother Zoe wants to build a new
life for herself and her four year old son Hari. She can barely afford
the crammed studio apartment on a busy street where shouting football
fans keep them awake all night. Hari's dad, Jaz, a charismatic but
perpetually broke DJ, is no help at all. But his sister Surinder comes
to Zoe's aid, hooking her up with a job as far away from the urban crush
as possible: a bookshop on the banks of Loch Ness. And there's a second
job to cover housing: Zoe will be an au pair for three children at a
genuine castle in the Scottish Highlands.
But while Scotland is everything Zoe dreamed of--clear skies, brisk
fresh air, blessed quiet--everything else is a bit of a mess. The
Urquart family castle is grand, but crumbling, the childrens' single dad
is a wreck, and the kids have been kicked out of school and left to
their own devices. Zoe has her work cut out for her, and is determined
to rise to the challenge, especially when she sees how happily Hari has
taken to their new home.
With the help of Nina, the friendly local bookseller, Zoe begins to put
down roots in the community. Are books, fresh air, and kindness enough
to heal this broken family--and her own...?
