Thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources and Boldwood Books for the gifted ebook to write my honest review.

Can a family escape its dark past to find happiness?

Buckie, Scotland 1918

Brothers James and Innes Lowrie return home to their wives and families after the war, Innes working for a shipbuilder and James returning to sea and the family’s fishing business. Sister Bethany Pate and Innes have sons and heirs to go into the family business, but James does not. Innes takes in orphaned Etta Mulholland, adding to his already large family.

In 1931, as the new generation take the helm and pursue various careers in Buckie’s fishing industry, some are content to take on the roles their parents have chosen for them, while others rail against these strictures.

Adam Pate longs to join the man he knows as his uncle, James, as a fisherman, while his mother wants him to study at university and to find a life far from the danger of discovering dark family secrets.

Trouble brews when Etta Mulholland begins work as a herring gutter, guided by her cousins, but new relationships set various family members against one another, and the family’s fortunes are threatened by external forces and the sea itself.

Is there light and happiness ahead for the hardworking families of Buckie or will discord from the past weave into their futures.

Storytelling at its best, Evelyn Hood is the original bestselling Scottish saga writer 💫
Previously published as A Sparkle of Salt

Purchase Link  https://mybook.to/HopefortheFuture

This is the second Evelyn Hood book I have read in the last few weeks. Hope for the Future is the sequel to Echoes in the Past. I haven’t read the first book and hoped it wouldn’t spoil the story for me. I didn’t have much problem enjoying this narrative for its own merit. The quality of this author’s storytelling made it a great standalone.

Historical fiction and sagas always have a place in my heart. I love being transported back in time. It’s a fulfilling read for me when I feel like I have learned something as well as been entertained! Set in a small fishing village in Scotland, Buckie, we follow the Lowrie brothers and their families upon their return from the war. As the years melt away, we see the new generation come into their own. Not every member of the family is doing what they wish in life.

Then there is Etta Mulholland, the girl Innes Lowrie took in as a child, now working as a fish gutter. As new people enter the lives of the family members, frictions arise, and events threaten their fortunes. Can this family rise above these issues , or will they flounder in life?

Every time I read a novel by this author, I get that cosy feeling. The history of Scotland’s fishing villages is something I haven’t really heard about. The vivid and detailed descriptions added authenticity to this story. I couldn’t help but feel like I was there. The characters are ones I could invest in, created well and with flaws as well.

Another story that gave me the Catherine Cookson vibe. I love this about Evelyn Hood; her books are about everyday people just trying to survive. I couldn’t get enough of Hope for the Future! The speed at which I read this one was so fast, and I didn’t want to leave the characters! I adored it!

Author Bio

The Sunday Times bestselling author of 28 published novels, Evelyn Hood had a variety of jobs, including being a journalist and a poultry farmer. She was a full time writer, best known for her family sagas, set mainly in her home town of Paisley (Renfrewshire) and on the Clyde coast, where she also lived.

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