Titles by Talented Locals - The Birnam Reader

birnamreader Visit The Birnam Reader in Station Road, Birnam to view/purchase copies of the books or request a special signing.
Opening Times:
Monday – 11 - 19.00 • Tuesday – Closed
Wednesday – Closed • Thursday – Closed
Friday – 11 - 19.00 • Saturday – 11 - 19.00
Sunday – 11 - 19.00

The Dressmaker’s Gift
by Fiona Valpy
A gripping story of three young women in Nazioccupied Paris. How will history – and their families – judge them?
Paris, 1940. Three young seamstresses go about their normal lives as best they can. But all three are hiding secrets. War-scarred Mireille is fighting with the Resistance; Claire has been seduced by a German officer; and Vivienne’s involvement is something she can’t reveal to either of them.
Two generations later, Claire’s English granddaughter Harriet arrives in Paris, rootless and adrift, desperate to find a connection with her past. Living and working in the same building on the Rue Cardinale, she learns the truth about her grandmother – and herself – and unravels a family history that is darker and more painful than she ever imagined.
In wartime, the three seamstresses face the gravest of dangers. Brought together by loyalty, threatened by betrayal, can they survive history’s darkest era without being torn apart?
The Dressmaker’s Gift is a Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, and Amazon Charts bestseller which will appeal to readers of historical fiction and in particular those interested in resistance operations in France during World War 2.

Wayfaring Strangers
The Musical Voyage from Scotland and Ulster to Appalachia
by Fiona Ritchie and Doug Orr
"Essential...
A gorgeous holiday gift book, including a CD of various artists' renditions of the songs whose origins the authors so beautifully
recount." ~ New York Times
Book Review
In the five years since Wayfaring Strangers was published, the co-authors have charted a pioneering journey of their own, taking their story to book festivals from Edinburgh to Nashville. In 2017, Scottish musician and broadcaster Phil Cunningham picked up on this epic tale for the acclaimed BBC tv series by the same name, to which the authors both contributed. In the pages of this book, Phil's tv viewers will enjoy re-visiting the people and places they loved on screen. Meanwhile the enduring legacy of songs and tunes flows on today from Appalachia, back to Ireland and Scotland and around the globe.

Silence and Other Stories
by Tim Turnbull
Tim Turnbull’s short story collection ‘Silence’ and Other Stories, now available as a Kindle book on Amazon, is perfect for anyone who loves a spooky tale at Christmas.
It consists of ten weird stories. In each, it is difficult to say whether the underlying horror is caused by the supernatural phenomena and events described, or by human cruelty, callousness, and outright wickedness. The settings range from rural North Yorkshire and its moors to the backstreets of North London; from 16th century France to a near-future New York. Some of the protagonists are dangerously delusional, others bewildered dupes, but all are threatened by implacable
forces.

Aran: Recipes and stories from a bakery in the heart of Scotland
by Flora Shedden
Time and rhythm is at the core of Aran.
For Flora Shedden, owner of Aran bakery, baking is about capturing time and savouring little moments to yourself. Whether it’s hot butter slathered over fresh baked croissants to welcome in the morning, thickly sliced loaf cakes with a cuppa in hand for elevenses or indulgent pick me- ups taking centre stage in the late afternoon; baked goods always have their own place and moment.

A Life of Their Own
by Pauline Tait
When Kate and her children step onto a bus early one Tuesday morning, she knows this is their only chance: their only chance at freedom and at a life of their own. But, can she ensure their safety? Can she ensure they will never be found?
This is a feeling that haunts Kate as she and her children begin a new life far from New York, far from their troubled past. But, little did she know that their new life would bring her closer to a different past, a life she had long given up, making her already fragile world more complicated than she could have ever imagined.

The River Runs Red
by Mark Bridgeman
The River Runs Red is a collection of 19 short stories, detailing TRUE crimes that occurred within Highland Perthshire between 1799 – 1951. The collection includes accounts of infamous incidents from the region’s dark past, including murder, robbery, smuggling, terrorism and deception – with a dash of grim humour, and even some supernatural assistance.
Based on two years of extensive research the book brings together some shocking revelations from Highland Perthshire’s lawless past, featuring stories from Dunkeld, Aberfeldy, Pitlochry, Grandtully and Kenmore.
The River Runs Red will appeal to anyone who loves a good crime story, a mystery, a bit of local history or just enjoys settling down and being entertained.
Read about Highland Perthshire’s most infamous murder, the conman who sparked an international manhunt, whisky smuggling, the psychic who solved a mystery, the killer who claimed he was thrown off a bridge, and many others!

Hidden Scotland
by Ann Lindsay
Did you know that herds of bison used to roam the Scottish countryside? Or that the first elephant to visit Scotland got stuck in a pub in Renfrewshire? In this marvellously entertaining and informative book, Ann Lindsay introduces a bewildering range of quirky, intriguing and amusing details about Scotland's past and present.
Hidden Scotland includes detailed instructions on how to get to all the places mentioned in the book, making it an indispensable guide to those keen to explore the more alternative destinations on Scotland's tourist trail.

Call of the Undertow
by Linda Cracknell
'about a precociously gifted boy and the map-maker who befriends him, ...(an) eerie tale in a far-flung place, beautiful in its rich evocation of the natural world'.
For adult fiction readers who like to feel the snarl of sea winds. Andrew Crumey,
The Scotsman.
http://www.lindacracknell.com/mybooksbuyhere.asp