Wives of the Fishermen

by Angela Huth

Beautiful Annie Macleoud and plain Myrtle Duns cannot remember a time when they were not the most loving of friends, unflinchingly loyal to each other in the harsh climate of the South fishing village that is their home. When Myrtle embarks upon the great and passionate love affair of her life, beautiful Annie finds only disappointment. Still their friendship survives, until a horrifying accident exposes the secret sadness, jealousy, and betrayal each has hidden over the years.

Beautiful Annie Macleoud and plain Myrtle Duns cannot remember a time when they were not the most loving of friends, unflinchingly loyal to each other in the harsh climate of the South fishing village that is their home. When Myrtle embarks upon the great and passionate love affair of her life, beautiful Annie finds only disappointment. Still their friendship survives, until a horrifying accident exposes the secret sadness, jealousy, and betrayal each has hidden over the years.Beautiful Annie Macleoud and plain Myrtle Duns cannot remember a time when they were not the most loving of friends, unflinchingly loyal to each other in the harsh climate of the South fishing village that is their home. When Myrtle embarks upon the great and passionate love affair of her life, beautiful Annie finds only disappointment. Still their friendship survives, until a horrifying accident exposes the secret sadness, jealousy, and betrayal each has hidden over the years.

Genres: Fiction, Roman, Scotland, Novels, Drama, Contemporary

307 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Daughter of actor Harold Huth, english novelist Angela Huth married journalist and travel writer Quentin Crewe in the 1960s and with him had a daughter. She presented programmes on the BBC, including How It Is and Why and Man Alive.

She also writes plays for radio, television and stage, and is a well-known freelance journalist, critic and broadcaster. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.

She has been married to a don, James Howard-Johnston, since 1978. They live in Warwickshire and have one daughter, Eugenie Teasley.

Reviews

[Pauline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Première lecture de l'année, premier coup de coeur !
J'ai tout aimé de ce roman. Situé en Écosse et près de la mer, il rassemblait déjà 2 de mes passions. On y suit deux chronologies : l'âge adulte et l'enfance de Myrtle et de son amie Annie (que j'ai détestée tout du long, mais passons). J'ai aimé la force et le calme de Myrtle, sa chance face à l'amour, et c'est un livre qui finit bien, ce que j'aime toujours beaucoup. Ajoutez à cela un style très beau, très doux, et quelques accents écossais cachés dans les dialogues, pour un résultat fort, émouvant et romantique.

[Sara Norquay · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Parisian friend Isabelle lent me this book just before I left Paris so I read it on the plane. It is a very well-written book that skillfully unfolds the history of a friendship between two women who live in a small fishing village on the east coast of Scotland. It offers a window to a world very much affected by harsh weather and few economic opportunities. But the book's power rests in the pull and push of circumstance against character. For those who are interested in the mysterious labyrinth of relationships, this is a must-read.

[cebulka · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25

Beautifully written, I loved all the details. But I do not understand why would Janice’s story end like that???? Without it, it would’ve been a perfect book.

[Ninice · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5⭐
C'est une histoire d'amitié entre deux femmes qui est déséquilibrée, Annie est une vraie peste depuis l'enfance avec sa tendre amie Myrtle. Ça m'a beaucoup fait penser à l'amitié entre Lenu et Elena dans L'amie prodigieuse. On a des flash-backs de leur enfance et de leur amitié.
Ça se passe en Écosse dans un petit village de marins-pêcheurs, elles vivent dans l'attente de leurs maris qui partent pendant 1 semaine et rentrent quelques jours et ce éternellement jusqu'à leur MORT ! ☠️
Donc c'est également une histoire sur le deuil, et histoire d'amour. C'était bien.

[Bianca · Rating 1 out of 5]

abgebrochen S.77

[Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Héritée de génération en génération, l'angoisse, pour les femmes dont les hommes gagnaient leur vie en mer, était comme un papillon prisonnier de leurs entrailles : battant des ailes, se cognant, il n'arrivait jamais à s'évader et restait rarement tranquille."

[Dominique Gamache · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un roman tranquille qui se lit d'une traite et met en scène deux femmes de pêcheurs aux tempéraments opposés, liées depuis l'enfance, l'une étant discrète et réservée, l'autre, extravertie et spectaculaire. L'histoire se déroule dans un village de pêcheurs d'Écosse. Les ressorts et limites de leur amitié sont finement décrits (jalousies, dépendances, rancoeurs...), tandis que les attaches, les mariages, les deuils reconfigurent les liens. C'est rythmé par des rencontres avec thé et parties de carte. C'est assez juste bien que romancé. Ca m'a plu.

[Tressa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was surprised at how much I got into this story. I thought it would be a so-so read, but it was a great one. I recommended it to a fellow reader and she also loved it.

The feeling of doom invaded the story, and I was saddened when the worst happened for the main character. But the ending was satisfactory and left me with a nice little glow. (Don't want to give too much away.)

[JoAnne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a sweet story about two very different friends. The setting is Scotland and I found myself drinking a lot of tea while reading this. I love everything about Myrtle's character and was engaged and interested in finishing this book. I would catagorize it women's fiction and a love story.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Angela Huth's writing has a feel for rich detail, rich characters without fussiness. There is a simplicity and pureness that is very appealing in her literary approach to the story of everyday people, everyday lives.

[Susanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the description of the Scottish village where this takes place. The location is (almost) the most interesting character in the book.

[Jinjer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book so much that I once told my cousin "You can't take that with you!" when she was putting it in her carry-on bag. Sorry, Lindy-Loo!

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a gift for a special birthday from a very special family member. I don't know that this quiet tale that focuses on a woman and her friendships in a small Scottish fishing village is something I would have picked up on my own, but I loved it - mange tak, kusine! The writing in this quiet tale of Myrtle and her best friend Annie and the people around them is exceptional, and the plot--quiet at first--becomes more and more compelling as the pages are turned. Definitely recommend!

[Pascale · Rating 4 out of 5]

J'ai bien aimé l'écriture, la traduction.
Livre qui évolue avec lenteur (dans le bon sens du terme) qui reflète la vie dans un petit village de pêcheurs du nord de l'Ecosse.
Même si la fin est un peu attendue malgré le doute qui persiste toujours, j'ai beaucoup aimé l'histoire de cette amitié entre deux femmes (que tant de choses opposent), amitié qui évolue sur plusieurs dizaines d'années selon divers évènements.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

To be honest, I was slightly confused by the book. I loved the storyline however something was lacking. Too many shenanigans for a small fishing town. However, I do realise how bleak life can be when there is hardly any way out. I was also surprised that Myrtle and Annie were friends for so long. Annie is way too arrogant and full of herself for my liking. 2.5 stars rounded up.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely a book with a focus on people and place more so than plot. I wouldn’t call it a page turner but it is a nice quiet read with interesting relationships and dynamics. And it has some surprises in store too. Solid 3

[Laura Alderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite enjoyed this novel about 2 friends who are fishermen's wives in Mull. A slow, uneventful life. I enjoyed the characterisation and description of the lives up there but overall found the novel too slow and wordy. A germ of a good story hidden in a lot of words.

[Kendra Chubbuck · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved Myrtle Duns and just couldn't stand Annie! What a pain Annie and her daughter, Janice were. I was glad it ended the way it did.

[Susan Babka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful beautiful written book.

[Ram · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully sensitive novel “Wives of the Fishermen” by Angela Huth.
More at

https://medium.com/@vram45/wives-of-t...

[James Digate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable read. This is a book you will not want to put down.

[La république des livres · Rating 3 out of 5]

J'ai trouvé ce livre en flânant dans les rayons de ma librairie. Je n'avais jamais entendu parler de roman mais l'annotation du libraire « Une magnifique histoire d'amitié entre deux femme » m'a donné envie d'acheter ce roman.

On est plongé au cœur du quotidien de la vie des femmes de marin. On suit ce quotidien au travers des yeux de Myrtle. C'est un quotidien où la solitude est présente surtout pour Myrtle qui n'a pas d'enfants. Elle est pleinement heureuse que lorsque son mari Archie rentre de ses campagnes de pêche. Mais cette attente est aussi angoissante car toutes les femmes redoutent les accidents en mer et c'est alors un soulagement de voir leurs maris revenir.

Myrtle est un personnage que j'ai beaucoup apprécié. Elle vit simplement malgré l'aisance financière de son couple. C'est une femme douce, sage, réservée et forte. J'aurai beaucoup aimé cette femme qui est un pilier dans cette communauté. Annie par contre j'ai eu beaucoup plus de mal avec elle, elle est trop frivole et parait bien trop insensible. Elle a le besoin de montrer qu'elle possède telle ou telle chose.

Ces deux femmes sont si dissemblables qu'on se demande parfois comment elles deviennent amies. Cette amitié entre deux contraires est souvent source de conflits mais pourtant elles n'envisagent la vie l'une sans l'autre.

Le récit conte l'histoire de ces deux femmes au fil des années. Il y a une alternance d'époque tout au long de l'histoire qui mêle présent et passé aisément. Cela nous permet de bien comprendre l'histoire commune de tous les personnages qui ont grandi ensemble dans ce petit village d'Ecosse.

Le livre est divisé en deux parties qui sont les deux chapitres de ce livre. La première partie est plutôt centrée sur la découverte des personnages et leur évolution au cours du temps jusqu'à la survenue du drame. La deuxième est centrée sur la vie après le drame. C'est la partie que j'ai préféré parce que c'est celle où il y a le plus de rebondissements même si ce n'est pas une histoire d'aventure.

Ce livre est en effet une belle histoire d'amitié qui résiste à tout ou presque. J'ai lu ce livre assez lentement par rapport aux livres que je lis d'habitude mais cela m'a donné l'occasion d'apprécier ma lecture.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an unusual story about mostly everyday life in the lives of fishermen wives but more about two women that have been friends since childhood. An opposite's attraction even as young girls. Myrtle the rock and Annie the spark, so it's described in the book. A slow moving, but interesting story told only by Myrtle gives a one-sided view, but I liked that, made you wonder in a single perspective just as you would in real life. Not an exciting story but comforting just as the main character is portrayed.

[Jeanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tale of two friends, flashbacks to childhood. They probably shouldn't have been friends -- one staid and plain, the other flighty and beautiful. The story's slanted in favor of the plain woman who ultimately finds happiness with the men too smart to be pulled in by the other woman.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an out of print book but deals with the relatiionship between two girls as they grow up in a very small fishing town in Scotland. The girls are very different but still stay very close friends until a horrible accident.

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a lovely book. It details the long friendship between flighty Annie and dependable Myrtle in a small Irish town where the men go out to fish, leaving the women on the shore hoping they will return safely. Widowed,
Myrtle grieves and yet reaches out reliably to those around her.

[Dominique Jacques · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un vrai bonheur de lecture. Un livre de femme. Une amitié improbable de deux femmes de marins, dans un village d'Ecosse battu par les vents. Sentimental, sans miévrerie. À lire au chaud avec une tasse de thé...et des scones.

[Marie Manou · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un gros coup de coeur pour ce roman, remplie de poésie de vérité.
La plume d'Angela Huth nous emmène au bord de l'eau et nous donne le goût de sel à la bouche, l'odeur des marins dans le nez et beaucoup de douceur au coeur.

[Helena · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars actually. It is a well written book and I did enjoy elements of the story. I did find it rather dreary at times and perhaps should not have read it so soon after Angela Huth's Land Girls which was so lively, humorous and colourful.

[Kirsty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Took a while to get into but still an easy read to switch off from everything. End again could have been a bit more detail but having read 2 of her books must be her way.