“LOCHABER LIGHTS,” a Book of Short Stories and Poems Set in 18th Century Scotland
GLASGOW, Scotland (PRWEB) June 30, 2016 -- Holy Fire Publishing (http://www.holyfirepublishing.com) releases “Lochaber Lights” (Paperback, U.S. $16.58, ISBN# 978-1-60383-512-1). Donald S. Gillespie’s compendium of short stories and poems depicts the enduring faith of a devout and rustic 18th Century Scottish community.
“Lochaber Lights” includes a remarkable range of Christian moral parables with attendant sketches, accompanying poems and musical notations. They are essentially the fruit of the author’s life experiences and family life, learned from childhood from his fisherman grandfather in St. Monans, Fife, and coalesced for the instruction and amusement of the reader.
There can be no doubt about the time-worn moral leitmotifs, since “A Ploughman’s Progress” is a clear intimation of “A Pilgrim’s Progress”; and “The Merchant of Lewis” portrays the same moral evil in Shakespeare’s “Merchant of Venice,” told with pathos and humour. Set against the background of the highlands in 18th century Scotland, after the Napoleonic Wars, they illustrate how moral principles test our strongest personal ties and how our deeds can survive the storms of life.
If a disclaimer be necessary, the principal characters themselves are fictitious albeit of universal significance. The author’s sketches, dated and initialled, however, are not an accidental adjunct, but contain family members and erstwhile colleagues whose influence on his life has been greatly appreciated.
Set in the locus of Lochaber and Argyle, historic cradles of the kings, the gests attempt to convey with serious sobriety and humour moral principles that form the lodestone and wealth of any enduring social fabric. The readers will thus glean something of that spirit which continues to inspire an almost lost but not forgotten devout and rustic community.
The poems written by his late wife are so indicated. A vote of thanks is also extended to the director of music at Glasgow Cathedral for assistance with the musical notation in some of the poems.
Donald S. Gillespie was born and educated in Scotland. Having completed his mechanical engineering studies in Glasgow, he attended London Bible College, thence to Glasgow University, where he was trained in the ministry for the Church of Scotland. Years of aggressive liberalism compelled him to immigrate with his family to Canada, where he converted to Catholicism. His non-fiction and historic writings reflect his deeply held Christian beliefs. He continues to write, and enjoys travelling on spiritual “caminos” in the footsteps of St Paul. He lost his late wife, a medical doctor, to pancreatic cancer but continues to enjoy visiting family in the UK and USA. His three adult children are professionals in education, medicine and psychology. His personal charity for autistic children receives all royalties from his writings.
Holy Fire Publishing (http://www.holyfirepublishing.com), publisher of hundreds of Christian books, helps Christian authors reach the world through the printed word.
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Publisher, HOLY FIRE PUBLISHING, http://www.holyfirepublishing.com, +1 (843) 285-3130, [email protected]
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