{"product_id":"a-field-full-of-folk-907318","title":"A Field Full of Folk","description":"\u003c!-- Hook --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA Field Full of Folk\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- Tagline --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne Scottish village, one summer: a minister losing faith, a woman leaving her husband and the whole imperfect world in miniature.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\u003c!-- Access Your Content --\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"border: 2px solid #ddd; padding: 16px; border-radius: 6px; background: #f9f9f9; margin-bottom: 20px;\"\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: bold; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 10px;\"\u003eAccess Your Content in Seconds\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col style=\"margin-left: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eComplete your purchase on our store.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDownload \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/thegreyhill.com\/pages\/the-grey-hill-app\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Grey Hill App\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e (free).\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLog in using the same email from checkout.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYour ebook will appear instantly in your library.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-size: 14px; color: #555;\"\u003eAll content is securely delivered through our app and not offered as a Shopify download.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\u003c!-- About the Ebook --\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eAbout the Ebook\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe world, in Iain Crichton Smith's vision is a field full of folk; and one Scottish village is its microcosm. Here, the Minister wrestles with his loss of faith, and his cancer, concealing them even from his wife, but she had divined them. Mrs Berry cultivates her garden assiduously, and when Jehovah's Witnesses come quoting their texts, she tells them that the hill at the end of the village can be climbed by many paths. Old Annie has no doubts about her path: she has no use for Christianity ('Protestants and Catholics, nothing but guns and fighting') and finds her answer in the East. On more mundane levels, Morag Bheag worries about her son serving in Northern Ireland, and Chrissie Murray shocks the village by leaving her husband and making for Glasgow - taking only a radio with her, that's what shocks most.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMurdo Macfarlane vehemently urges his puritanical views - about, for instance, the use of the church hall for a young people's dance - and David Collins nurses his hatred of Germans, but cannot insult them when they come as tourists. In short, it's a village much like any other, with its prejudices and certainties and kindliness and heartbreak: the whole and the small part. As the Minister sees in his visionary moment at the annual sports, when the petty disputes over the wheel-barrow race and the tragic news of young Bheag's death come together in his realisation that it's all a part of 'this supremely imperfect and perfect earth.' Crichton Smith's novels never carry any superfluous weight: they're as spare as sprinters. He writes with a poet's concentration, and never more precisely, or more movingly, than here, in what amounts to a gentle, compassionate meditation on life and death, with a warm, affirmative conclusion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\u003c!-- Why You'll Love This Ebook --\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWhy You'll Love This Ebook\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIain Crichton Smith at his most precise and compassionate\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA meditation on life and death, community and the human condition\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSpare as a sprinter, written with a poet's concentration and warmth\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRead another celebrated title from Polygon - an imprint of Birlinn Ltd\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\u003c!-- About the Author --\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIain Crichton Smith (1928 – 1998) was born in Glasgow, brought up on Lewis, and attended university in Aberdeen. After working as a teacher in Clydebank and Dumbarton, he taught at the High School in Oban until he took early retirement in 1977. He was the recipient of many literary awards and received an OBE in 1980. His widow, Donalda, still lives in Taynuilt, where the couple moved after their marriage in 1977.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\u003c!-- Publication Details --\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003ePublication Details\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/strong\u003e Polygon (an imprint of Birlinn Ltd)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e 15 April 2015\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrint Length:\u003c\/strong\u003e 181 pages (Ebook edition)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eISBN (Ebook):\u003c\/strong\u003e 9780857907318\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFormat:\u003c\/strong\u003e Ebook\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\u003c!-- FAQ --\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eFrequently Asked Questions\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eHow do I access my ebook?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDownload \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/thegreyhill.com\/pages\/the-grey-hill-app\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Grey Hill App\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e and log in using the same email you used at checkout. Your ebook will appear instantly in your library.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCan I read it online?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYes — you can also access your purchases via our online reader at \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reader.thegreyhill.com\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ereader.thegreyhill.com\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eI can't see my ebook — what should I do?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTap the refresh button in the app or online reader. If it still doesn't appear, ensure you're logged in with the same email used at checkout. If issues continue, contact us and we'll help right away.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCan I gift this ebook?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYes — you can purchase a Grey Hill Gift Card here: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/thegreyhill.com\/products\/the-grey-hill-gift-card\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBuy a Gift Card\u003c\/a\u003e. The recipient can redeem it on our store, and the ebook will appear in The Grey Hill App.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Polygon","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57312373375349,"sku":"9780857907318","price":5.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0921\/5662\/5269\/files\/9780857907318.jpg?v=1782229107","url":"https:\/\/thegreyhill.com\/products\/a-field-full-of-folk-907318","provider":"The Grey Hill","version":"1.0","type":"link"}