Mrs. McPhealy's American

By: Claire R. McDougall

Narrated by: Mhairi Morrison

Hollywood director Steve McNaught is drinking heavily and on the brink of a midlife crisis. With guilt over two failed marriages and his role as near-absent father, he buys a one-way ticket to Scotland, hoping to find solace in his grandfather's ancestral home. Soon the town is abuzz with the news of Steve's impending arrival at his aunt's Mrs. McPhealy's. The ladies exchange glances; the men in the only pub wonder if there might be some cash advantage. Bent over the bins in the alley behind the shops, the three tinker brothers barely register the goings-on. They know they are related to this Hollywood character. Everyone knows. It is only Steve McNaught who is in the dark.

But from the outset, Steve is a misfit in the small town of Locharbert. Georgiana (George) MacBrayne, the local midwife, suffers no fools, and this is exactly what she expects to find in Steve McNaught. When Steve buys the dilapidated cottage by the shore where George grew up and which she has always hoped to restore, the tension between them increases. As these things go, so does the attraction. George lets her guard down long enough to let Steve in, but when he starts making a film starring Locharbert's local characters, she throws him out. He takes his film reels and heads back to California. And then, one day, Steve reappears, months sober and brandishing his newly edited film.

©2024 Claire R. McDougall (P)2024 Tantor

A heartwarming Tale of Life in Lochaber.

A lovely story capturing the lives of everyday people in Locharbert. As a fellow Scot, I found the characters wonderfully relatable, each one bringing a touch authenticity and charm. With the arrival of an American film director, a descendant of Mrs McPhealy the story takes an intriguing turn. A beautifully written, heartfelt read that truly brings the spirit of the highlands to life. Thank you Claire for another enjoyable novel. I highly recommend this book.

Narrator

I can't rate the actual book because I have not read it. I wanted to listen to it; however, the narrator is awful. At a normal read rate it was way too slow, so I bumped it up to 1.5 and then it was too fast, so I dropped it to 1.2. Finally, the perfect speed, but then the voice inflections were awful. I couldn't tell most of the time if it was a real person reading or AI. I finally just turned it off as I could not bear it any longer.
I think I will purchase the book, as it has wonderful reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, so I'll give it a go the old-fashioned way.