THE ROAD FROM BELHAVEN

Release Date : 2024-02-06

Duration : 8 Hours 14 Mins

Publisher : Random House Audio

SYNOPSIS

This is the latest novel from acclaimed writer Margot Livesey, who grew up in a boys’ private school in the Scottish Highlands, attended university in England, and has since lectured at several colleges and universities across the USA.

In the late 19th century, Lizzie Craig is raised by her grandparents on Belhaven Farm, where she discovers as a small child that she can see random events in the future, most of which she cannot change. When a young man named Louis, visiting Belhaven for the harvest, begins to court her, Lizzie begins to dream of a new life outside the farm in Glasgow. After she impulsively follows Louis back to Glasgow, she discovers the hardships of city life and the limits of his devotion. When she is suddenly pregnant and Louis is still far from ready to get married, she is faced with some tough decisions. Instead of heeding her family’s warnings, she continues to make reckless decisions, putting the future of her and her child’s welfare at risk.

REVIEW

The story is a well-paced, entertaining historical fiction tale. The world-building of late 19th-century Scotland is quite excellent, especially the lavish descriptions of Belhaven Farm and all its named farm animals. Lizzie’s childhood on the farm is reminiscent of watching an episode of Road to Avolea and is quite endearing. But as Lizzie matures into young adulthood, the story becomes more dramatic and interesting. After a very entertaining series of events throughout the second half, the ending feels a bit rushed and leaves much to the imagination of the audience.

Narrator Ell Potter does a remarkable job with the narration, with a truly authentic performance of portraying characters in that time period. Potter gives an extra flair of emotion and drama when portraying adult Lizzie, who is quite headstrong and impulsive, and the performance is a stark contrast to the other more repressed female characters in the story. If you’re interested in a rich historical fiction drama that accurately depicts Scotland on the brink of the 20th century, give this one a listen!