I’ve been a huge fan of Kathleen McGurl’s books for some
years, so I was delighted to be offered the opportunity to take part in the blog tour for her latest novel.
The Stationmaster’s
Daughter is an intriguing and heartwarming story which centres around the
restoration of an old railway. Ms McGurl
was inspired to write The Stationmaster’s
Daughter when her elder brother, who is a volunteer on a railway
restoration project in North Devon, suggested to her that it would make an
excellent setting for a story. And so it
proved. As the author herself explains, although she has relocated the fictitious railway
in The Stationmaster’s Daughter to Dorset, it bears lots of similarities to a certain narrow-gauge
railway on the edge of Exmoor – similarities which will not be lost on anyone
who is familiar with it.
The scenes of the book alternate between the 1930s (when the
railway closed) and the present day.
Following a series of personal tragedies, Tilly Thomson comes to Dorset
to stay with her father Ken, who is spending his retirement working on the
project to restore the old Michelhampton & Coombe Regis Railway to its
former glory. Before long, Tilly finds
herself drawn into an intriguing mystery: what really happened in the station
house on the very last day of the railway’s operation?
What follows is a satisfying, thoroughly researched and
beautifully written page-turner which can be enjoyed by active railway
enthusiasts and relaxed armchair supporters alike. Highly recommended.
The e-book edition of The
Stationmaster’s Daughter was released on 7th August 2019, and the
paperback will follow on 17th October. If you’re looking for the ideal Christmas gift
for someone who loves a gripping and well-written novel, look no further!
Sincere thanks to Rachel's Random Resources for the opportunity to take part in this tour.
Sincere thanks to Rachel's Random Resources for the opportunity to take part in this tour.
As the last train leaves, will life ever be the same?
Dorset 1935
Stationmaster Ted has never cared much for romance. Occupied with ensuring England's most beautiful railway runs on time, love has always felt like a comparatively trivial matter. Yet when he meets Annie Galbraith on the 8.42 train to Lynford, he can't help but instantly fall for her.
But soon the railway is forced to close, and a terrible accident occurs within the station grounds. Ted finds his job - and any hope of a relationship with Annie - hanging in the balance...
Present day
Recovering from heartbreak after a disastrous marriage, Tilly decides to escape from the bustling capital and move to Dorset to stay with her dad, Ken.
When Ken convinces Tilly to help with the restoration of the old railway, she discovers a diary hidden in the old ticket office. Tilly is soon swept up in Ted's story, and the fateful accident that changed his life for ever.
But an encounter with an enigmatic stranger takes Tilly by surprise, and she can't help but feel a connection with Ted's story in the past.
Purchase Links:
Kathleen McGurl lives near the sea in Bournemouth, UK, with her husband. She has two
sons who are now grown-up and have left home. She began her writing career
creating short stories, and sold dozens to women’s magazines in the UK and
Australia. Then she got side-tracked onto family history research – which led
eventually to writing novels with genealogy themes. She has always been
fascinated by the past, and the ways in which the past can influence the
present, and enjoys exploring these links in her novels.
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Media Links:
Thank you so much for this review and for taking part in the blog tour!
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