Hold Back the Tide

December 7, 2020
For seven years, Alva Douglas has known what the residents of Ormscaula only suspect: that her father, Lachlan, killed her mother. Da claims that Mam abandoned them, but Alva heard the gunshots and has lived in fear ever since. When she turns 16, Alva secures a job in Thurso and arranges to stow away on the next mail cart. Before she can carry out her plan, though, terrifying creatures called òlanfhuil begin emerging from caves exposed by the loch’s dropping water level—a consequence of the local mill’s expansion. As the loch’s caretaker, or Naomhfhuil, it’s Lachlan’s duty to warn the villagers and convince the mill’s owner—his nemesis, Giles Stewart—to cease operations. Alva quickly realizes that her father has no intention of doing either, however, and she resolves to save the day with the aid of fellow outcast Murren Ross, who was born with a “twisted leg,” and Giles’ son, Gavan. After a setup-heavy start, Salisbury (the State of Sorrow duology) launches readers headlong into a harrowing Scottish Highlands–set historical horror rife with monsters both literal and metaphorical. Keenly rendered characters, high-stakes action, and tender romance keep the pages turning until the tale’s heartrending close. Ages 12–up.