A
fictional tale of ancient times in the Orkney Islands. These pre-historic
people are ordinary men and women who are mostly content merely
to win the fight for survival in their harsh world. But one of
them develops a deep curiosity about "the Shining" -
something which sometimes appears on the horizon beyond the sea.
Hands, Metoo, Thinlegs and Catcho dare to cross that sea in a
dangerous voyage into the unknown, leaving the security and companionship
of their own village.
Naomi
Mitchison is a fine storyteller with a compelling ear for patterns
and rhythms of speech and a deep understanding of human nature.
Above all, she manages to capture the realities of the lives of
these primitive people in an imaginative reconstruction of their
adventure.