{"title":"Northus Shetland Classics","description":"\u003cp\u003eDelve into the rich literary heritage of the Shetland Islands with the Northus Shetland Classics. Explore captivating stories that capture the unique character and landscape of this enchanting region. 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Foula is the furthest afield of Shetland's own islands, to the outside world a place of mystery, wildness and, depending on one's point of view, scary isolation.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut these fanciful perspectives can obscure what really happens there. In the early 1980s, one of the inhabitants decided to record the passage of a year of Foula life. Sheila Gear, a zoology graduate married to one of the island's crofters, with three young children and a myriad of other responsibilities, took time out to paint the reader a picture: of extraordinarily changeable weather ranging from searing icy windstorms to idyllic blooming quiescence; of the heartbreak of the deaths of loved livestock exposed to the harshness of wintry conditions, and the playful joy and excitement of the births of new generations of creatures in the spring; of the back-breaking work to till the land and marshal its bounty, managing plenty and lack with equal aplomb; of the distinct specialness of the landscape, its peaks and cliffs soaring many hundreds of feet into the air, and its wild bird inhabitants' habits and idiosyncrasies; and of the people who live there and what makes them tick - their frustrations at the lack of governmental investment in the island's infrastructure, their amusement at the foibles of incomers, their enmeshedness within such a small community, their devotion to their island home.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGear also gives us snapshots of the island's history - its characters, its economy, its shipwrecks, and the ebb and flow of its fortunes. Replete with the spirit of the island, and crammed with detail, Foula: Island West of the Sun is a remarkable record of survival and thriving in a place which is out of the ordinary way, in every sense.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49741902938385,"sku":"NGR9780648920489","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50682930692369,"sku":"GOR013018310","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51005487579409,"sku":"NIN9780648920489","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ LIKE_NEW \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":51171939909905,"sku":"GOR014191996","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0648920488.jpg?v=1751294527"},{"product_id":"rock-bound-book-jessie-m-e-saxby-9780645244052","title":"Rock-Bound","description":"Young Inga Henderson has grown up as the daughter of the manse on a northerly Shetland isle named Vaalafiel. She is without a father; he died in a mysterious tragedy on a boat trip to Europe, in which his best friend also died, and which her mother, who was with them, won't speak about. Living with Inga and her mother in seclusion on Vaalafiel is that best friend's son, Laurence Traquair, a young man of culture who is subject to memory-obliterating fits and nervestorms, and who is Inga's kindest ally in a world made grim through her mother's coldness.In the meantime, on the neighbouring island of Jewbadaal, young, confident and cheerful Aytoun Weir lives with his father, the minister, his wise mother and happy sisters. Despite Inga's mother's wish to remain secluded, he is engaged to make the daily short trip across the voe to be her tutor. As time goes by, and her mother's fears are allayed, Inga is allowed to travel to Jewbadaal. The contrast with the gloom and quiet of her own existence could not be stronger, as is that between the two young men in Inga's life-retiring Laurence and gregarious Aytoun. Confounding their differences, the two young men become fast friends.Inga's curiosity about her father and the mysterious story of his death only grows more intense as she matures, and she discovers an even deeper ally in Aytoun. Slowly they uncover elements of the tale, but key parts are still missing. At the same time, Inga's loyalties are being tested - she has married Laurence, but feels drawn almost subconsciously to Aytoun. Only when Aytoun plans a boat-trip to Europe himself, taking Laurence and Inga's mother with him, does the full truth come to light. An astonishing story of smuggling, jealousy and embittered relationships is revealed. As the boat bringing the travellers home nears Vaalafiel, a storm erupts. In one night of momentous events, including the advent of a stranger who remains unknown to any but Inga, and a shipwreck in weather which would test the hardiest rescuer, her whole world is turned upside down. What she realizes in that time of storm and stress changes her life for ever.In this debut novel, Jessie Saxby took elements of her own life and experiences and wove them into the gripping story of a young woman discovering herself through her hitherto hidden past, and her maturing understanding of the costs and compromises of love. The result is a passionate novel with modern gothic undertones, reminiscent of the work of Charlotte Bront  and Robert Louis Stevenson, which anticipates the stirring tales of Daphne du Maurier.\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49743682339089,"sku":"NGR9780645244052","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51005048946961,"sku":"NIN9780645244052","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0645244058.jpg?v=1751167585"},{"product_id":"broken-lights-book-basil-ramsay-anderson-9780648920472","title":"Broken Lights","description":"\u003cp\u003eOn the 7\u003csup\u003eth\u003c\/sup\u003e of January, 1888, a young Shetlander, resident in Edinburgh, died at the age of 26. Tuberculosis, or 'consumption' as it was known, had claimed Basil Ramsay Anderson like so many others.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut behind him he left an extraordinary legacy - a notebook filled with poems, of which only a few had been published. Many were in English and Scots, and these unveiled his profound talent. But there was also a set of poems in Shetland's own dialect, which proved a revelation. Rarely, if ever, had the language been used in print with such surety, strength and joy. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFamed Shetland novelist and poet Jessie Saxby was asked by Anderson's family to edit his works for publication, and the result was one of the key books in the history of Shetland's literature. \u003cem\u003eBroken Lights\u003c\/em\u003e collected not only 58 of Basil Ramsay Anderson's poetical works, but also included extracts from his personal letters, tributes from family, friends and literary associates, and a glossary of Shetland terms which was among the first of its kind. It is here reprinted in its entirety.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49745466097937,"sku":"NGR9780648920472","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51005460054289,"sku":"NIN9780648920472","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":52421011996945,"sku":"GOR014522982","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/064892047X.jpg?v=1751359646"},{"product_id":"tang-book-j-j-haldane-burgess-9780648920427","title":"Tang","description":"\u003cp\u003eShetland in the dying days of the nineteenth century is a community dedicated to crofting and fishing. At Norwik, not far from Lerwick, and in its surrounding area, the people are a microcosm of wider Shetland society. The urbane laird, the newly arrived young minister, the unconventional local teacher, and the bluff owner of the shop are cruxes around which the crofting and fishing families circle. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBeautiful young Inga Bolt is the daughter of the shop-owner; Bob Ertirson is an intense young fisherman who has been captivated for years by her, since they knew each other as children, though he's not been given a great deal of encouragement. Inga has been away for a good while with family in the more northerly isle of Fetlar, her return eagerly anticipated by Bob. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut now that she's back, her attention is immediately captivated by the new minister, Peter Mann. He is tall, dark-eyed, and strangely aware of her, yet somehow at the same time innocently unaware of the depth of his own feelings. The newcomer causes havoc in Inga's heart, and a great deal of resentment in Bob's. Peter and Inga's growing mutual fascination sends ripples throughout the small community, which extend quickly into dangerous gossip, jealousy, and rivalry. Will Inga and Peter come to more understanding? Or will Bob be able to finally capture her heart? \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn Tang, J. J. Haldane Burgess deftly weaves comedy, passion and tragedy with compelling social criticism in a depiction of the searing and shifting currents in a small community. Tradition on the one hand, and freethinking on the other, form a backdrop of (often slyly amusing) contest to the key battleground of the plot. Burgess' novel is an extraordinary marker of maturity in the modern history of Shetland's literature, and is at the same time hugely entertaining and moving.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49750724968721,"sku":"NGR9780648920427","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50560300220689,"sku":"GOR012074419","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51005345267985,"sku":"NIN9780648920427","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0648920429.jpg?v=1751423538"},{"product_id":"day-between-weathers-book-william-j-tait-9781763565692","title":"A Day Between Weathers","description":"\u003cp\u003eBorn on the island of Yell in Shetland just at the end of the First World War, William Tait's life spanned the twentieth century.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHis passion for the life of words led him to enter the teaching profession in Lerwick after student life away in Edinburgh. This passion never abated, and found its main expression in poetry.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eProgressing to both England and Scotland as his teaching career flowered, his poetry began to attract attention. His first works were published in the \u003cem\u003eSpectator\u003c\/em\u003e in 1945, and over the next 35 years a steady stream of extraordinarily varied and powerful pieces graced the pages of noted journals and anthologies.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFinally, in 1980, this book, collecting together all the work which had gained him a reputation for versatility and brilliance, was published.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eA Day Between Weathers\u003c\/em\u003e sorts Tait's collected poems written between 1938 and 1978 into three thematic groupings; the first a miscellany, the second amatory, and the third poems of war. 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