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emmap2023's review against another edition
5.0
I want to wallow in the cold Scottish waters of this story but this book was a full on 5 star read for me.
I received this through my Moth Box Books Subscription box this month and is published by Freight Books a smaller and new publisher to me.
Linda Cracknell's scenic and character descriptions draw you in and pull you like a harpie to the sea's of the northern Scottish coastline.
The main story is that of Maggie, a female cartographer who has moved away from her Oxford home to escape the encompassing grief of an event that has taken place and impacted greatly on her. When she arrives to the small Scottish village, she is pretty much left to her own devices until such time as she befriends Graham in the local bird watching office. From this point her exposure to the small community she is living in opens up to her and she is asked by the local school to do a presentation and instil some interest in their students for a project they are doing.
Trothan is one of the students in the cartography presentation, he stands out immediately with his quirky looks and concentration on Maggie during her class. They strike up a mutual friendship based on their interest in maps.
This fondness takes them on a journey together through the beautiful landscape of coastal Scotland, abandoned churches and mythology as Trothan creates his own map.
This book lyrically draws you through the reason for Maggie's arrival in Scotland, her new friendships in Scotland and a shocking exposure leading to a turn of events nobody will expect.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough, if you want a good winter read, this highly atmospheric book is the one for you.
I received this through my Moth Box Books Subscription box this month and is published by Freight Books a smaller and new publisher to me.
Linda Cracknell's scenic and character descriptions draw you in and pull you like a harpie to the sea's of the northern Scottish coastline.
The main story is that of Maggie, a female cartographer who has moved away from her Oxford home to escape the encompassing grief of an event that has taken place and impacted greatly on her. When she arrives to the small Scottish village, she is pretty much left to her own devices until such time as she befriends Graham in the local bird watching office. From this point her exposure to the small community she is living in opens up to her and she is asked by the local school to do a presentation and instil some interest in their students for a project they are doing.
Trothan is one of the students in the cartography presentation, he stands out immediately with his quirky looks and concentration on Maggie during her class. They strike up a mutual friendship based on their interest in maps.
This fondness takes them on a journey together through the beautiful landscape of coastal Scotland, abandoned churches and mythology as Trothan creates his own map.
This book lyrically draws you through the reason for Maggie's arrival in Scotland, her new friendships in Scotland and a shocking exposure leading to a turn of events nobody will expect.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough, if you want a good winter read, this highly atmospheric book is the one for you.
mh_books's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this. I read it while on holiday in Sligo and Donegal, on the beach, while looking at the same Ocean (more or less) that the protagonist was walking beside in the story.
I found this a fast yet atmospheric read. The language is poetic and simply beautiful (my own language has failed me here). The feeling is of being isolated among the beauty Scotland’s most northerly coast.
The central protagonist is Maggie, a cartographer. She has left her in Oxford full of bakeries and social activities for a small cottage in the isolated far north of Scotland (in the white area of the map). She has run away from her past. Her ex-husband seems to understand this and her sister assumes it’s a temporary arrangement. She continues her work as a cartographer from home and becomes known to the locals as the map lady. Then as part of a school visit to the local primary school she meets Trothan, strange, quiet, longhaired child who also spends much of his time alone. Trothan also loves maps but his tell the stories of both the local legends and current goings on. This can only lead to trouble.
I love the nod to the Selkie myth contained within the novel and I actively choose to believe this myth is true for the purposes of this story. If you do not know the legends of Selkies I would STRONGLY recommend you look them up or you will miss something. [b:Sealskin|32713449|Sealskin|Su Bristow|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1481445836s/32713449.jpg|53293305] is a great place to start if you want to read about the central Selkie myth in novel form but Wikipedia will get you there too.
Like many others I read this as a result of the positive reviews of others who had purchased it as part of Moth Box (I was too late to purchase the moth box itself when it was on sale). I will definitely be reading this author again.
I found this a fast yet atmospheric read. The language is poetic and simply beautiful (my own language has failed me here). The feeling is of being isolated among the beauty Scotland’s most northerly coast.
The central protagonist is Maggie, a cartographer. She has left her in Oxford full of bakeries and social activities for a small cottage in the isolated far north of Scotland (in the white area of the map). She has run away from her past. Her ex-husband seems to understand this and her sister assumes it’s a temporary arrangement. She continues her work as a cartographer from home and becomes known to the locals as the map lady. Then as part of a school visit to the local primary school she meets Trothan, strange, quiet, longhaired child who also spends much of his time alone. Trothan also loves maps but his tell the stories of both the local legends and current goings on. This can only lead to trouble.
I love the nod to the Selkie myth contained within the novel and I actively choose to believe this myth is true for the purposes of this story. If you do not know the legends of Selkies I would STRONGLY recommend you look them up or you will miss something. [b:Sealskin|32713449|Sealskin|Su Bristow|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1481445836s/32713449.jpg|53293305] is a great place to start if you want to read about the central Selkie myth in novel form but Wikipedia will get you there too.
Like many others I read this as a result of the positive reviews of others who had purchased it as part of Moth Box (I was too late to purchase the moth box itself when it was on sale). I will definitely be reading this author again.
amyetherington's review against another edition
2.0
Maybe a 2.5? I wanted to like this more, but sadly it just didn't grab me enough.
fictionophile's review against another edition
4.0
Maggie Thame has relocated to the atmospheric Caithness Coast of Scotland from Oxford, England. Forty, childless and newly single, she harbours a deep guilty feeling of shame. She longs to escape her memories and start life anew. Still, she is plagued by disturbing dreams of a girl's tiny red polka dot shoe...
"An hour or two's walk helped with ideas for work as well as keeping her body from seizing up and rescuing her mind from its shadows."
A freelance cartographer, Maggie can work from anywhere, so she rents 'Flotsam Cottage' and continues working on her maps. To take a break from her work, she walks for hours at a time - familiarizing herself with her new surroundings. As she gradually meets some of the locals during her rambles, she becomes known to them as 'The Map Lady'. She becomes enchanted by the plethora of wildlife in the area, and likes to sit quietly on the cliffs watching the puffins frolic.
The local primary school teacher invites her to speak to the class about her cartographic skills. It is then that she meets a peculiar young boy named Trothan Gilbertson. He seems 'different'. An odd child who is ostracized by his peers and seems to have little parental supervision. At first she was uncertain as to whether he was male or female as his hair was worn very long and he wore wellies that were quite feminine. Pale blue with white daisies. He is very skilled at making maps however, so Maggie gradually takes him 'under her wing' and advises him how to further improve his skills. Unsettling though, as he seems to come and go at will, turning up at Maggie's cottage uninvited and letting himself in... Trothan draws a map of the local area that is worthy of entering in a competition.
Maggie also meets Graham who works at the local 'bird center'. He educates her on the myriad birds who inhabit the area and it is to Graham that she runs when she is attacked by nesting terns.
When Maggie's sister Carol comes to Scotland to visit, she persuades Maggie to drive her around the area and visit the local pub. Until then the school teacher, Trothan and Graham were her only friends. Carol doesn't seem to approve of the strange boy and is uncomfortable with the wild, nature-rich locale which her sister has chosen to call home.
As the weeks pass, Maggie forms a strong attachment to Trothan. She worries that he is neglected by his parents, and begins to think motherly thoughts toward him.
"If she'd been this child's mother she wouldn't have stood back and let him be ignored and ostracized; working alone, playing alone; tolerated rather than encouraged."
An unsettling event happens at a school awards night. In presenting his map, Trothan has simultaneously divulged the secrets of the village. The following day, Trothan goes missing and the police and some journalists interrogate Maggie. Alas, it seems her personal 'history' in Oxford has followed her to her new home...
This debut novel's setting was indeed almost like a character unto itself. Rich in atmosphere, and written with skill, it is more literary fiction than mystery, though it does contain some mysterious elements. The reader's mind cannot help but think of Scotland's mystical history. Of seals and of selkies. I realize that the ending of this novel might be too 'open-ended' for some, but I'm grateful that I finally got to read "Call of the Undertow". I recommend it to readers who enjoy character-rich novels with a strong sense of place.
To view my full review including pictures of the beautiful setting of the novel, visit my blog:
https://fictionophile.wordpress.com/2017/08/16/call-of-the-undertow-by-linda-cracknell/
"An hour or two's walk helped with ideas for work as well as keeping her body from seizing up and rescuing her mind from its shadows."
A freelance cartographer, Maggie can work from anywhere, so she rents 'Flotsam Cottage' and continues working on her maps. To take a break from her work, she walks for hours at a time - familiarizing herself with her new surroundings. As she gradually meets some of the locals during her rambles, she becomes known to them as 'The Map Lady'. She becomes enchanted by the plethora of wildlife in the area, and likes to sit quietly on the cliffs watching the puffins frolic.
The local primary school teacher invites her to speak to the class about her cartographic skills. It is then that she meets a peculiar young boy named Trothan Gilbertson. He seems 'different'. An odd child who is ostracized by his peers and seems to have little parental supervision. At first she was uncertain as to whether he was male or female as his hair was worn very long and he wore wellies that were quite feminine. Pale blue with white daisies. He is very skilled at making maps however, so Maggie gradually takes him 'under her wing' and advises him how to further improve his skills. Unsettling though, as he seems to come and go at will, turning up at Maggie's cottage uninvited and letting himself in... Trothan draws a map of the local area that is worthy of entering in a competition.
Maggie also meets Graham who works at the local 'bird center'. He educates her on the myriad birds who inhabit the area and it is to Graham that she runs when she is attacked by nesting terns.
When Maggie's sister Carol comes to Scotland to visit, she persuades Maggie to drive her around the area and visit the local pub. Until then the school teacher, Trothan and Graham were her only friends. Carol doesn't seem to approve of the strange boy and is uncomfortable with the wild, nature-rich locale which her sister has chosen to call home.
As the weeks pass, Maggie forms a strong attachment to Trothan. She worries that he is neglected by his parents, and begins to think motherly thoughts toward him.
"If she'd been this child's mother she wouldn't have stood back and let him be ignored and ostracized; working alone, playing alone; tolerated rather than encouraged."
An unsettling event happens at a school awards night. In presenting his map, Trothan has simultaneously divulged the secrets of the village. The following day, Trothan goes missing and the police and some journalists interrogate Maggie. Alas, it seems her personal 'history' in Oxford has followed her to her new home...
This debut novel's setting was indeed almost like a character unto itself. Rich in atmosphere, and written with skill, it is more literary fiction than mystery, though it does contain some mysterious elements. The reader's mind cannot help but think of Scotland's mystical history. Of seals and of selkies. I realize that the ending of this novel might be too 'open-ended' for some, but I'm grateful that I finally got to read "Call of the Undertow". I recommend it to readers who enjoy character-rich novels with a strong sense of place.
To view my full review including pictures of the beautiful setting of the novel, visit my blog:
https://fictionophile.wordpress.com/2017/08/16/call-of-the-undertow-by-linda-cracknell/
amandaquotidianbooks's review against another edition
2.0
DNF page 89, 35%
I had high hopes for this book when I bought it early last year - it seemed to contain themes and settings I absolutely love. But, alas, it didn't deliver. The writing style very much suits the story, but didn't suit my tastes. There is much description of the land around where Maggie lives, but it's done in the style of cartography, meticulously naming where natural structures are in relation to others and using many topographical and botanical words I was unfamiliar with. If I had wanted to paint the picture of the scene in my mind, I would have been looking up picture after picture on the internet, interrupting my reading. I was not intrigued by any of the characters, including Maggie. There wasn't enough introspection for a book about isolated people. The chapters moved quickly because they were all about moving and doing, not thinking and feeling, which is what I need from most of my books. And, for such a short book, it took a long time to get to anything resembling an overarching plot. By page 50, my normal DNF cutoff point, I hadn't even met the second main character, Trothan. I was hoping this book would be mysterious and hauntingly beautiful, but most scenes were full of awkwardness. Call of the Undertow has all of the pieces I would normally love, but presents them in a way I unfortunately don't love.
I had high hopes for this book when I bought it early last year - it seemed to contain themes and settings I absolutely love. But, alas, it didn't deliver. The writing style very much suits the story, but didn't suit my tastes. There is much description of the land around where Maggie lives, but it's done in the style of cartography, meticulously naming where natural structures are in relation to others and using many topographical and botanical words I was unfamiliar with. If I had wanted to paint the picture of the scene in my mind, I would have been looking up picture after picture on the internet, interrupting my reading. I was not intrigued by any of the characters, including Maggie. There wasn't enough introspection for a book about isolated people. The chapters moved quickly because they were all about moving and doing, not thinking and feeling, which is what I need from most of my books. And, for such a short book, it took a long time to get to anything resembling an overarching plot. By page 50, my normal DNF cutoff point, I hadn't even met the second main character, Trothan. I was hoping this book would be mysterious and hauntingly beautiful, but most scenes were full of awkwardness. Call of the Undertow has all of the pieces I would normally love, but presents them in a way I unfortunately don't love.
jennikreads's review
5.0
Big thanks to Mercedes for introducing me to this book through her Moth Box. It was such a beautiful book. So atmospheric, akin to the way Burial Rites was atmospheric, and also something that really dug into your heart and stuck there. I get really attached to the characters and was very invested in what was happening and hoping for this outcome or that. It was just a very beautifully written, quite, subtle book that had be absolutely addicted.
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