Technicolour Dreams

The Little Gift Shop On The Loch by Maggie Conway is a most delightful contemporary tale about finding your true identity.

Too often we rush through life immersed in our jobs but never really discovering what is really important. “How easy it was to rush around, never stopping to appreciate something simple.” Within the novel an unexpected redundancy becomes a new opportunity. What starts as an escape to lick one’s wounds soon becomes the lifeline to a new dream.

The story is about loss. “Time was meant to be a healer but… it wasn’t. You simply found ways of dealing with it.” Sometimes we become so busy to avoid facing our loss. Sooner or later we must slow down and meet our loss face to face. Losing loved ones hurts but the blow is softened by knowing how much they loved and how much they were loved by others.

There is a wonderful community feel to the tale. Small town living means people pull together. They welcome strangers into their midst. This warm feeling contrasts with the cold anonymity of city living.

A cat, Misty, completesa house, turning it into a home, after it has taken up residence in a heart.

Big corporations threaten the fabric of small town living. Some change is good as we need to adapt or die.

I really enjoyed my visit to The Little Gift Shop On The Loch. I could not put the book down and read it in just one sitting. Why not escape for a few hours to a Scottish loch and recharge your batteries? You will be glad you did.

I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

JULIA WILSON