The Priest’s Pool

I like this dapper wee man, ’ thought Martha. ’I like him very much indeed.’

Change is sweeping across Scotland in the 1870s as new ideas meet old superstitions, but in remote Wanlockhead the old ways still prevail. Martha, the daughter of the local healing woman, spends her days setting wishing fires and making herbal remedies; an outsider, she has endured heartbreak and hardship and longs for a new life. Romance blossoms when Jim, a widowed tailor, arrives from Carluke with his wares, but Martha has a dark secret, which threatens to isolate her from happiness. When tragedy strikes, her knowledge of the old ways proves invaluable - but will it be enough to win the trust of her new family?

Inspired by the extraordinary lives of ordinary people, The Priest’s Pool is a moving account of family, resilience and hope