Close Knit

Carso, Scotland, is so close to the top of the world that the Arctic and Atlantic Sea are its northern border. At 30, Gertie Mooney is a lifelong resident with no plans to leave. She lives with her mother and grandmother in a small cottage, and that’s okay because it’s comforting to be surrounded by family and the Carso Knitting Circle women who meet there. But sometimes she thinks it would be nice to find a place of her own and maybe a little romance. When a temporary job working for a former classmate is offered, Gertie might just be on her way to all the things she’s dreamed of. Readers looking for a small-town story that feels like the coziest hug from a hand-knit cashmere sweater will be thrilled with this book. The detailed descriptions of daily life in such a remote area of Scotland add to the complexity of the relationships as well as act as a good travelogue sales pitch to the beauty found there.