Scolland, 1840: a country of contrast and

change, where the cities are filled with

whisky shops and brothels, and the coun-

tryside is tilled by men who are encour-

aged to have unmarried "followers" to

provide cheap labor. A country, too, with

great respect for education, as it struggles

with the problems of coal miners hours

and safety

This is the world of young Kate

Kilgour, housekeeper to James Gal-

braith, a minister of the Free Kirk in

Greenock. Then local gossip about Kate s

illegitimate son forces Galhraith to give

her notice, even though his heart cries

out that she should stay.

And so the story of lovely, strong-

minded Kate begins. She will discover

her link with the wealthy pit-owning

Balfour family. She will marry an evan-

gelical miner in the Lanarkshire coal

pits. She will teach her children inde-

pendence and pride and watch as they go

out into a world of turmoil and transi-

tion: one son to America to become a rail-

road pioneer; a daughter to New Zealand

on a "bride ship" after a disastrous affair;

her handsome bastard to seafaring

danger on Clyde-buih clipper ships.

Another son will stand for Parliament as one of the first Labor MPs,and Kate herself, in time of deep crisis,will return to James Galbraith s side.