Eilidh Lawson's life has just been turned upside down. Her marriage is ending and she's lost her much longed-for baby. Mentally and physically exhausted, she's not sure what to do but feels oddly compelled to return to Glen Avich, a small village in the Scottish Highlands, where her family has lived for generations. Here, she meets her best friend from childhood, Jamie McAnena, who is raising his daughter alone. Following the death of his mother, Elizabeth, Jamie has resigned himself to being a family of two, closing himself off and devoting his life to his daughter, Maisie. What none of them can know is that it is Elizabeth who has called Eilidh back to Glen Avich. Though dead for three years, she has not been able to leave Jamie behind in his lost and lonely state. Now, she starts working behind the scenes for Jamie and Eilidh to get close again, but both are scared of repeating the past and Elizabeth's influence can only reach so far. An ethereal tale narrated from several different perspectives, Watch Over Me is a beautifully written debut novel. It is a poignant yet subtle story about letting go and moving on - with a little bit of help from beyond the grave.
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A fabulous book. Watch Over Me is a poignant and beautifully crafted story . . . pretty impossibe to put down. (9/10) --Novelicious
This has got to be the most touching and emotional book I ve read this year. Watch Over Me is such a delicate a beautiful read that you can t help but fall in to the storyline from the first page. (5/5) --Reabookreview
A strong new voice in contemporary Scottish fiction. --Booksfromscotland.com
This has got to be the most touching and emotional book I ve read this year. Watch Over Me is such a delicate a beautiful read that you can t help but fall in to the storyline from the first page. (5/5) --Reabookreview
A strong new voice in contemporary Scottish fiction. --Booksfromscotland.com
About the Author
Daniela Sacerdoti was born and raised in Italy but has lived in Scotland for the past ten years. She holds a degree in Classics from the University of Turin and has taught Italian, Latin and Greek - her great-uncle was the renowned Italian writer Carlo Levi. She writes in both English and Italian. Watch Over Me is her debut novel.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
124 of 128 people found the following review helpful
By owl music
Format:Paperback
Watch Over Me is a poignant and romantic tale, laced at times with sadness, but full of charm, affection and ultimately hope. It tells the story of Eilidh, a woman tormented by her inability to have children, and follows her to a remote Scottish village as she tries to find a new way to live after the collapse of her marriage.
The writing is fresh and engaging, and the multiple characters speak directly to the reader in voices full of sincerity and openness, with plenty of candid humour. There's lyricism to the writing, too, and powerful atmosphere, especially in the lovely half-seen ghost of Elizabeth, who expresses beautifully the sweet-sad nostalgia of life moving on.
Meanwhile the village in which this story is set is as much of a character as any of the people. Daniela Sacerdoti's love of the Highlands shines through: you can see the glimmer of starlight on her crisp nights, feel the crunch of the frosted ground beneath your feet, and warm to the firesides, tea, drams of whisky and easy sense of companionship that fill Glen Avich.
This is a book that encompasses sorrow: the description of Eilidh's despair as she surveys her barren life is extremely moving. Daniela Sacerdoti explores other forms of isolation too, with characters trapped by social expectations, lovelessness, or regret. However, above all this is a book of rebirth, renewal and love. Anyone who enjoys curling up with a story of seemingly star-crossed lovers will relish Eilidh's journey, and be rooting for her to find the happiness she has been denied for so long.
The writing is fresh and engaging, and the multiple characters speak directly to the reader in voices full of sincerity and openness, with plenty of candid humour. There's lyricism to the writing, too, and powerful atmosphere, especially in the lovely half-seen ghost of Elizabeth, who expresses beautifully the sweet-sad nostalgia of life moving on.
Meanwhile the village in which this story is set is as much of a character as any of the people. Daniela Sacerdoti's love of the Highlands shines through: you can see the glimmer of starlight on her crisp nights, feel the crunch of the frosted ground beneath your feet, and warm to the firesides, tea, drams of whisky and easy sense of companionship that fill Glen Avich.
This is a book that encompasses sorrow: the description of Eilidh's despair as she surveys her barren life is extremely moving. Daniela Sacerdoti explores other forms of isolation too, with characters trapped by social expectations, lovelessness, or regret. However, above all this is a book of rebirth, renewal and love. Anyone who enjoys curling up with a story of seemingly star-crossed lovers will relish Eilidh's journey, and be rooting for her to find the happiness she has been denied for so long.
41 of 42 people found the following review helpful
By Linda
Format:Paperback
This is a truly beautiful story. I was hooked from the first page and read the whole book in less than two days.
As I read, I felt like I was immersed in the lives of the characters. I cared what happened to them. The characters all tell their own parts of the tale, and they have very individual voices. It was easy to get caught up in the feelings and emotions of each of them.
It's a well written, lovely story. I would absolutely recommend you read it.
(And unlike Daniela, I'm not a writer, so this review doesn't really do the book justice).
As I read, I felt like I was immersed in the lives of the characters. I cared what happened to them. The characters all tell their own parts of the tale, and they have very individual voices. It was easy to get caught up in the feelings and emotions of each of them.
It's a well written, lovely story. I would absolutely recommend you read it.
(And unlike Daniela, I'm not a writer, so this review doesn't really do the book justice).
106 of 111 people found the following review helpful
By Vivienne Serendipity
TOP 1000 REVIEWER
Format:Paperback
As I began to read this book, I was completely unaware of how the author was quietly captivating me and drawing me into the story. If you look at the book as a whole, you realise it is a basic love story, yet as you delve into the layers of the story you find it is so much more. There is magic hiding within the chapters.
The little village of Glen Avich, is enchanting. It reminded me of the mythical Scottish town in Brigadoon, one of my favourite musicals ever. It seems like a town that hasn't aged with time. Everyone still knows everyone else's business and goes about the same thing just as they have done since they were children.
I hated putting this book down, as I needed to find out what would happen and I found myself desperate not to let go of this book, once I had finished it. I was so mesmerised by this beautiful village and its inhabitants, I was sad to finish it. I wanted to find the village and move there. Search out the characters to see how their lives had progressed, because the way they were written had brought them to life for me. There wasn't a character in the book, that I did not feel empathy for. I was convinced I could see snippets of people I know within them.
This book has a strong theme to it. It is about learning to accept the past in order to help you move on with the future. The characters had been trapped by the events of their past, which seem to cloud their judgement of the decisions they should make. However, a little helping hand from the spiritual side of life, helps to bring them together.
The book reminded me of two of my favourite authors. It had the warmth of Beth Hoffman's book and the magic of the books by Sarah Addison Allen. A book I will treasure and read again and again. I feel like I should buy hundreds of copies and give them out in the street. If you want a mesmerising, captivating read that presents the circle of life in such a magical way, then I suggest you read this book.
The little village of Glen Avich, is enchanting. It reminded me of the mythical Scottish town in Brigadoon, one of my favourite musicals ever. It seems like a town that hasn't aged with time. Everyone still knows everyone else's business and goes about the same thing just as they have done since they were children.
I hated putting this book down, as I needed to find out what would happen and I found myself desperate not to let go of this book, once I had finished it. I was so mesmerised by this beautiful village and its inhabitants, I was sad to finish it. I wanted to find the village and move there. Search out the characters to see how their lives had progressed, because the way they were written had brought them to life for me. There wasn't a character in the book, that I did not feel empathy for. I was convinced I could see snippets of people I know within them.
This book has a strong theme to it. It is about learning to accept the past in order to help you move on with the future. The characters had been trapped by the events of their past, which seem to cloud their judgement of the decisions they should make. However, a little helping hand from the spiritual side of life, helps to bring them together.
The book reminded me of two of my favourite authors. It had the warmth of Beth Hoffman's book and the magic of the books by Sarah Addison Allen. A book I will treasure and read again and again. I feel like I should buy hundreds of copies and give them out in the street. If you want a mesmerising, captivating read that presents the circle of life in such a magical way, then I suggest you read this book.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
A moving and lovely read
What a beautiful moving story! The ending had me sobbing silently into my pillow and has made a real impact on me. Highly recommended.
Published 2 hours ago by DG
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful!
I loved this book. It's a simple love story, beautifully written with believable characters - even the ghost and I don't believe in ghosts!! I cried sad and happy tears throughout. Read more
Published 3 hours ago by blue-eyes-SC
5.0 out of 5 stars
A very enjoyable read
A great story touching on different aspects of life including a link at spiritual beliefs which I find very interesting and a close similarity to my up bringing.
Published 3 hours ago by pipchap
5.0 out of 5 stars
Have tissues ready
An amazing book, I couldn't put it down and read it in one sitting. The different voices of the characters led to a deeper understanding of them and their roles within the story. Read more
Published 4 hours ago by lisa obrien
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great book
Loved this book, very easy teams and good story x
Will be interested in other books by the same author
Will be interested in other books by the same author
Published 4 hours ago by Nikki Evans
5.0 out of 5 stars
I cried....
I cried for hope, sorrow, mirth, loss, love and everything in between. This story, and the perspectives through which it was told, was simultaneously heart-breaking and... Read more
Published 5 hours ago by Lianne Cook
5.0 out of 5 stars
captivating
from the beginning to the end I found this book captivating and couldn't put it down. Definitely a must read!
Published 16 hours ago by carole challenor
4.0 out of 5 stars
Surprisingly good
I was rather dubious about this book having read the blurb. In my opinion, few novels dealing with emotionally damaged characters becoming healed, rise above the mundane. Read more
Published 1 day ago by rhoda yvonne bunting
5.0 out of 5 stars
Watch Over Me
Brilliant book, you look at life from different perspectives with others eyes. When you read it is giving you hope and you think "yes, everything makes sense, they watch over us"... Read more
Published 1 day ago by Eva
3.0 out of 5 stars
Watch over me
I've given this book 3 stars. Quite predictable from early on. Well written. An easy read once you got used to characters. Not sure if I would recommend it to my friends
Published 1 day ago by Fiona
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