The Umbrella-Maker's Daughter (U)

by Janet Caird

During the period of Reform in the 1830s--a time of cholera, resurrection, and witchcraft--Mary Tullis, the umbrella-maker's daughter, attempts to keep her dark secret in a small Scottish town that permits no secrets

Genres: Fiction, Scotland, Gothic

464 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1980

About the author

Janet Hinshaw Caird was a teacher and a 20th-century writer of Scottish mysteries, poems, and short stories. Daughter of Peter Kirkwood, a missionary, and Janet Kirkwood, she was born in Livingstonia, Malawi, and educated in Scotland. She attended Dollar Academy in Dollar, Clackmannanshire, and the University of Edinburgh, graduating with a master of arts in English literature in 1935 before further study at the University of Grenoble and the Sorbonne in 1935–36.

She married James Bowman Caird in 1938, and they had two daughters. She taught English and Latin at Park School for Girls in Glasgow in 1937–38, at Royal High School, Edinburgh in 1940–41, and at Dollar Academy from 1941 to 1943. After several years at home, she returned to teaching at Dollar Academy in the 1950s before moving to Inverness in 1963.

Her novel for children, Angus the Tartan Partan, was published in 1961, followed by five murder mysteries set in Scotland and an historical novel, The Umbrella Maker's Daughter (1980), set in Dollar. Her three books of poetry appeared between 1977 and 1988. Caird also wrote short stories for publication in periodicals and anthologies, and she wrote reviews and critical articles for Cencrastus, Chapman, Scottish Literary Journal, and other publications.

Reviews

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A hard book for me to categorize, but nonetheless a well executed story. Not really a romance, or a gothic or a historical, but there are qualities of each genre woven throughout the story. Strangely enough, I was often reminded of Tess of the d'Urbervilles as well as Jane Eyre (although I wouldn't place Caird with Hardy and Bronte on the same playing field!). But there was, IMO, an old-fashioned style to this book that felt very Victorian at times, and the character of Mary Tullis had attributes of both Tess and Jane swirling around her like the highland mists described in the story, as well as shades of Alec and St. John lurking around the edges of Mary's two beaux.

Caird penned a very unique type of story in The Umbrella-Maker's Daughter -- one that I liked very much as a mature reader but would probably not have appreciated had I read it decades ago as a young woman. Why? Simply because there is no romantic HEA. In fact, Caird introduced 2 possible heros for our heroine who, for various reasons, didn't win our heroine's heart. Quite a surprising development, in fact, and one I wasn't expecting. A gutsy move, but ultimately it worked within the constraints of the story Caird set up.

Buddy read with Diane Lynn :D

[Diane Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buddy read with Hannah

David Tullis (the umbrella maker) and his daughter Mary arrive in Dyplin. They are trying to start fresh as something in the past has driven them from their previous home. They settle in and hope for the best. Well, life in a small Scottish town, where nothing much ever happens, sure can get interesting. And who cares what the truth is if an exaggeration or lie will do? Atmosphere played a smaller role in this book than in The Loch, but it is still important. The characters and how they interact is what really drives this story. There are many interesting conversations about books and writing. I found the ending unexpected but satisfying.

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good read. As the book cover says it is reminiscent of The Scarlet Letter, just set in a Scottish village in a later century. The people of Dyplin don't except outsiders easily and Mary with her offish ways doesn't make it any easier for herself. She is a women who was wounded by others and has turned to her books for comfort and safety. Confident and well read, comfortable with herself, and because of her extensive reading (unusual for a woman in that day) she is quite progressive thinking for a woman. All this makes her appear uppity to the village people and they are against her immediately.

When the cholera strikes the normalcy seems to be disrupted and there is a totally different 'air' to the village and the people, that disturbs the minister. The winter is long and hard and the children of the village find a book on witchcraft and steal away secretly to a cave to experiment as a group with this new found 'treasure' to while away the long days. This seems to set in motion a great darkness over the village that culminates at the 'May Burning' in a most evil way. Emotions run high with no restraint.

Superstition, a suicide, a lynch mob, grave robbing, witch burning... an exciting, introspective look into the evil and goodness of men's hearts.

quotes...
'The May Burning was a ritual peculiar to Dyplin, found in no other village along the hills. No one knew how old it was, but there were records of it back into the fourteenth century. It centred on an enormous fire which blazed from dawn till dusk. What it commemorated no one knew, and no one cared. It happened on the last Wednesday of May and until Dr. Gillies came to the parish, had been a time for dancing, drinking, fornicating - an abandonment of all the accepted rules by most of Dyplin - even those normally douce and respectable; though a few managed to resist the pull, shutting themselves in their houses, with their children round them, closing and bolting doors and shutters, and sitting with open Bibles to add a spiritual protection against whatever forces were abroad. For it was not like Hallowe'en and Hogmanay, which the whole country shared. This was something very close, very private. It was not talked about and looked forward to. Only a day or two before the due date, the fire was finally built, by silent men who scarcely spoke to one another. It was a vast release for all that had to be battened down for the rest of the year and would be battened down on the morrow.'

'She suddenly turned to Craig and said, 'I wish I could live like this, far away from everyone, with books all round me, and no people to bother me.'
'That's no way for a young lass tae talk. Books are fine. I couldna live without mine. But they're not life.'
'I don't like life. Books are safe.'
He looked long at her. 'So that's the way o' it. Ye've been hurt...na, na, I'm no' asking any questions. I'm just saying ye'll maybe find safety in books, but you'll miss living. books canna tak the place o' fowk.'
'I hate most people.'
'Hoots, lassie, ye dinna hate them - ye're afraid o' them.'
'Are you afraid of people?'
'There was a time when I was afraid of the hurt fowk could dae tae me - and I turned tae my books. And noo I canna dae wi'oot them.'
'But if you're happy?'
'Happy enough, in a subdued wersh way. No' what you should tak' for happiness. Sometime I think books are a snare, like drink. They're a' richt for an auld man like me. I can make them the better part o' my life and nae hairm. But you - you should tak' care they dinna get a haud o' you at the expense of life... This is a queer talk we're hae'in. I've never met a lassie like you afore; I can weel understand that ye'll no' just fit in wi' life in Dyplin...

[Julie Barrett · Rating 3 out of 5]

The umbrella-maker's daughter by Janet Caird
1832 and they've moved to another area hoping her past would be left behind also.
The sickness, cholera has come to the town and others have found out from the pastor that she has written poetry and has many books.
There is talk of witch burning also... Daniel the pastor takes up with Meg and also with Mary...
Hoped the book would talk more of her father's trade-using his hands to make umbrellas.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).