| Scolland, 1840: a country of contrast andchange, where the cities are filled withwhisky shops and brothels, and the coun-tryside is tilled by men who are encour-aged to have unmarried "followers" toprovide cheap labor. A country, too, withgreat respect for education, as it struggleswith the problems of coal miners hoursand safety This is the world of young KateKilgour, housekeeper to James Gal-braith, a minister of the Free Kirk inGreenock. Then local gossip about Kate sillegitimate son forces Galhraith to giveher notice, even though his heart criesout that she should stay. And so the story of lovely, strong-minded Kate begins. She will discoverher link with the wealthy pit-owningBalfour family. She will marry an evan-gelical miner in the Lanarkshire coalpits. She will teach her children inde-pendence and pride and watch as they goout into a world of turmoil and transi-tion: one son to America to become a rail-road pioneer; a daughter to New Zealandon a "bride ship" after a disastrous affair;her handsome bastard to seafaringdanger on Clyde-buih clipper ships.Another son will stand for Parliament as one of the first Labor MPs,and Kate herself, in time of deep crisis,will return to James Galbraith s side. |
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