Wives of the Fisherman

A small fishing village on the coast of Scotland, where the community is at the mercy of the elements and everyone knows everyone else, is the setting for this gem of a novel, which focuses on the unlikely friendship between two women. Myrtle Duns--intelligent, plain, old-fashioned, the proverbial Rock of Gibraltar--and Annie Mcleoud--pretty, conceited, materialistic, a popular gadabout--have been almost inseparable since childhood. British veteran Huth (Land Girls) is on familiar territory as she masterfully explores the delicate ties that bind two such disparate women together. While Annie adds sparkle and adventure to Myrtle's life, Myrtle gives unquestioning loyalty and friendship to her volatile companion. Ironically, Myrtle ends up sharing a passion-filled life with Archie, a most sought-after young man (particularly by Annie); and Annie settles for second-best Ken, on whom Myrtle--unbeknownst to Annie--had a fleeting crush. That the two men work on Archie's fishing boat together intertwines the women even further as they cope with the real and imagined terrors that wives of fishermen must endure when their husbands are out at sea. The infertility of one woman and the fact that the other has a daughter strain the friendship, but its greatest test comes when a fatal accident exposes hidden conflicts, jealousies and private judgments. Whether Huth is describing the fraught love between Annie and Myrtle or their marriages, she writes with her customary skill and light, sentimental touch. Editor, Kristen Nardullo; agent, Felicity Bryan. (Sept.) FYI: A movie based on Land Girls has been released by Gramercy Pictures.