[7] In 1971 Rick Wakeman bought a copy of The Private Life of Henry VIII by N. Brysson Morrison.

[2] "The Gowk Storm is one of the most atmospheric books I have ever read and the claustrophobia of the setting acts as a metaphor for the restrictions society places on these strong, intelligent and articulate young women.

The weather is a character in itself, central to the main figures' lives; sometimes joyful, more often uncaring or malevolent, but always lovingly described and full of significance.

What I love about the book is the detail; the way in which the author brings alive a character or place with economy and precision.

The ferryman is 'a mere paring of a man', Christine Strathern's features are 'like a wax doll's which have melted ever so slightly at the fire'.