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Emotional Geology Linda Gillard 9781905175079 Books

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Emotional Geology Linda Gillard 9781905175079 Books

Emotional Geology is an incredible debut. The paths of a bipolar mother haunted by her dead husband who was no gem, their daughter dealing with her own guilt, and a Scotsman with his own buried pain are intricately woven together and lead you to discoveries you do not expect. Gillard even manages to throw in bits of humor to lighten things up along the way.

This non-linear read jumps around a lot. Sometimes that bothers me in a book, but not with this one. I think that's because the jumps from present to past were brief and parallel in nature so I could easily adjust back and forth. My only criticism is, as an American, there were some Scottish words I did not understand, but that did not keep me from following the story. (I understood most of the Scottish words.) The dialogue only hints skillfully at dialect and was not a distraction.

I enjoy books that delve into the psychology of the characters and this one definitely did. Emotional Geology is the first of Gillard's books I've read, but I'll be reading more. I've already purchased The Trysting Tree.


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Emotional Geology Linda Gillard 9781905175079 Books Reviews

For some reason, it took me a while to get into this understated story about two emotionally damaged people who hesitantly finally dare to give love another try. But ultimately, I found this book to be resonant and quite haunting - and also quite adult in its approach to life and love.

Rose Leonard has grappled with bipolar disease all her life and has retreated to a remote island in the Hebrides where she hopes she can live simply and achieve emotional stability. Through a series of flashbacks, we learn that she is still mourning the end of her love affair with Gavin, a devastatingly attractive but self-absorbed mountain climber who always put Rose second to his passion for risking life and limb climbing the world's most dangerous peaks. This gave him a high which, as they say, is better than sex, not that he was above seeking out sex wherever he could find it.

Rose is befriended on the island by her neighbors, one of whom is the hunky Calum, who has his own ghosts to wrestle with, but quickly becomes besotted with Rose. Rose is also attracted -- but also scared. Will committing herself to love disturb her fragile emotional balance? If the affair ends badly, will she be able to survive? She wants to say yes, but keeps saying no.

Calum was also a climber and is now a teacher and part-time poet. Rose is an artist who uses fabrics to build her works. (We get a lot of Calum saying how wonderful Rose's art is and Rose saying how brilliant Calum's poetry is). Actually, the poems included in the book didn't do much for me. But the descriptions of the art were quite wonderful.

Rose's 22-year-old daughter Megan arrives and complicates matters. She has grave news she wants to convey to Rose. But mother and daughter have a complicated and fraught relationship - which makes it difficult for them to be with one another. They love each other, but also resent one another and have a whole catalog of mutual hurts to get over.

Eventually, everyone has to wrestle with their various demons and overcome them.

The biggest conundrum for me in this book was the character of Rose. I just could not get a visual image of this 47-year-old woman from what the author gave me. Why does Calum want her so much. His character is the second biggest problem. He was too much a paragon of perfection.

Despite these criticisms, this book is head and shoulders above most in its genre. The island was well depicted and the minor characters, Gavin and Megan, seemed authentic and convincing. And eventually, I was able to overcome by qualms about the leading man and woman and become somewhat invested in seeing what became of them.
This is a stunning novel. I first devoured "House of Silence" and then ordered all of Linda Gillard's books for my Voyage. The story is about Rose, a woman who has been taken over by her relationship with Gavin, a younger man and accomplished climber (and thrill-seeker). Everything in Gavin's life is secondary to his climbing. When Rose learns that he has cheated on her, she tries to kill herself and sends Gavin away for good. When this novel opens, Rose has moved to North Uist in the outer Hebridean islands so that she can begin to heal the huge holes in her life and pursue her art. "Emotional Geology" defies any sorts of labels. Rose delves into her own inner landscape but she begins to connect to other people on the island and meets Calum, a poet and teacher. His passion for both poetry and teaching fires her own creativity and she comes up with the idea of a joint exhibition featuring his poetry and her gorgeous textile art creations interpreting those poems. Her relationship with Calum is based on a real attraction while at the same time she is terrified of what falling in love with him would mean. Linda Gillard pulls no punches in this novel. Rose may have ended her relationship with Gavin but her feelings are raw, overwhelming, and hurtful. Her relationship with her daughter Megan is equally fraught. This is such powerful writing that I found myself forgetting where I was. I've been to the Hebridean Islands and this novel re-creates the beauty of those places. Equally powerful are the descriptions of Rose's art. I could shut my eyes and see her creations in my mind's eye. Thank you, Linda Gillard, for writing such a gut-wrenching and ultimately redemptive novel.
I first read Emotional Geology several years ago and can’t believe I didn’t write a review then. I have just reread (devoured) it for a FB discussion group, and am so glad I did. This book is brilliant! Linda Gillard is an amazing writer. She, beautifully, and bravely, infuses many of her characters with complex problems (in this case,the main character has bi-polar disorder), and then, takes us on a journey of discovery along with these characters. This is painful at times, but also joyful and healing. I think one of this writer’s greatest strengths is her superb character development. I suffered along with Rose and Calum, but I also felt their their growing, deep connection. Because of this book, I believe I’ve developed a better understanding of bi-polar disorder, and I’ve also learned something about mountain climbing and textile art - but, there’s also a whole lot about love in there, too obsessive, passionate, and deep, enduring. The Scottish Isle of North Uist is another character in Emotional Geology. Ms. Gillard’s lyrical descriptions of the land, sea, and sky greatly added to a rich and deeply satisfying read.
Emotional Geology is an incredible debut. The paths of a bipolar mother haunted by her dead husband who was no gem, their daughter dealing with her own guilt, and a Scotsman with his own buried pain are intricately woven together and lead you to discoveries you do not expect. Gillard even manages to throw in bits of humor to lighten things up along the way.

This non-linear read jumps around a lot. Sometimes that bothers me in a book, but not with this one. I think that's because the jumps from present to past were brief and parallel in nature so I could easily adjust back and forth. My only criticism is, as an American, there were some Scottish words I did not understand, but that did not keep me from following the story. (I understood most of the Scottish words.) The dialogue only hints skillfully at dialect and was not a distraction.

I enjoy books that delve into the psychology of the characters and this one definitely did. Emotional Geology is the first of Gillard's books I've read, but I'll be reading more. I've already purchased The Trysting Tree.