East Lothian is 'The Garden of Scotland' and the setting for this delightfully idiosyncratic story of country life. Here unfold the ups and downs of four generations of one farming family from the northern Orkney Isles, who move to the little farm of Cuddy Neuk in the south of Scotland just before the outbreak of the Second World War. A young Peter, the 'peedie' (wee) boy who sets his heart on filling his somewhat eccentric grandfather's straw-lined wellies, grows up to run the family farm and become a farmer father to his own sons, putting his ability to see the funny side of things to good use as adversities crop up with intriguing reality along an unpredictably tortuous path through life. Often hilarious, always heartfelt and at times sad, this is a book that will appeal, not only to those who are interested in the Scotland of today, but also to people who recall, or have been told about, rural ways that are gone forever.
About the Author: Peter Kerr, the best-selling Scottish author, was born in Lossiemouth, Morayshire, in 1940. His award-winning 'Snowball Oranges' series of five Mallorcan-based books have sold in large numbers worldwide and have been translated into eleven languages. They recount the often hilarious adventures experienced by Peter and his family while running a small orange farm on the Spanish island during the 1980s. 'Thistle Soup' is a prequel to these books and is a humorous though sometimes poignant account of his boyhood in East Lothian, 'The Garden of Scotland', where he eventually followed in his farming grandfather's footsteps. Peter now concentrates on writing fiction. His first novel, 'The Mallorca Connection', was a rare mix of suspense and comedy and has been followed to date by four other equally quirky yarns, with both Spanish and Scottish settings. In the 1960s, Peter was a jazz musician - the clarinettist-leader of Scotland's premier jazzband, 'The Clyde Valley Stompers', with whom he recorded the hit version of 'Peter and the Wolf' for Beatles producer George Martin. From 1970 onwards, Peter combined farming beef and barley in East Lothian with freelance record production, hitting the jackpot with the biggest-selling instrumental single of all time, The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards 'Amazing Grace'. He also wrote the music and lyrics (some say bizarrely!) for The Krankies' trademark song, 'Fan-Dabi-Dozi'. Peter, married with two sons, now lives in East Lothian and has recently published his first historical novel, 'Song of the Eight Winds', which is set in 13th century Mallorca. Website: www.peter-kerr.co.uk