Book Review: A Scottish Ferry Tale by Nancy Volkers

Synopsis: Cassie Wrentham goes to Scotland to visit her boyfriend only for him to dump her the day she arrives. Wanting to get away but not get back on a plane, Cassie randomly chooses a western island to visit. Cassie not only falls in love with the country, but starts to fall for a man she met on the ferry.  Will Cassie give love another chance, or will she forever believe that is only the stuff of fairy tales?

Author: It seems that there was never a time that Nancy Volkers didn’t want to be a writer; it has always been a part of her life. Eventually Nancy started taking part in National Novel Writing Month and her first novel, A Scottish Ferry Tale, was born. Also keep an eye out for the sequel, Scotland by Starlight.

Plot: Some things are too good to be true, and that is what Cassie believes when she has a chance meeting with Ralf on the ferry to Coll. This story takes us through the ups and downs of a long-distance relationship. From love letters and theatre trips, to arguments and long plane rides, Cassie struggles to trust that fairy tales do come true.

Location: I have never been to Scotland, let alone to Coll, but Nancy describes the island so beautifully that the reader can not only picture it, but add it to their list of places to visit.

Character Development: Cassie, while mature for her age of 22, is still a college student. It is the time when you believe your life is just beginning because you can now live it as you please. The only problem is that girls today are raised to be entirely independent on themselves, and are told to not change their lives just for a man –be it personality or property. Cassie’s friend told her “I always said I would never make a huge change in my life for another person. I’m not going to move to another city, or another freaking country just for a relationship” but you need to remember “home is where the heart is” and both sides may have to compromise something. This novel takes us through three years of Cassie’s life and her coming to realize that love is the most important thing that can happen to you and you just have to trust it will last for a lifetime.

Character: Ralph really is a dream come true. He is a successful stage actor who will read you poetry, hold open doors, isn’t afraid of tears, and will kiss you silly. Not to mention he has a gorgeous scots burr and wears a kilt, as well as a tux. My only problem was that he is nearly twenty years older than Cassie, a fact I thankfully kept forgetting as I read, but perhaps his age is why he knows how to treat a girl right…

Romance: Cassie and Ralph’s meeting is the stuff of every teenage girl’s imagination. Had just one detail been changed, they may never have met, so it must have been fate. I think I loved this story so much because I hope to one day accidentally meet the love of my life while touring the British Isles. I can only hope he will be as romantic, caring, and patient as Ralph is with Cassie.

Theme: The main idea of the story is summed up pretty well on page 126 when Cassie’s friend tells her “you can’t go through life avoiding everything that might turn out badly… it could be really, really good”. Basically, you need to have faith in yourself and trust that everything wil be okay in the end. And if it isn’t, then at least you tried and have learned from the experience, as you will regret the things you’ve never done more than the things you do.

Quote: To understand for once and for all with my eyes that all flows together and no one of us is all that important except in relation to the others.

The Verdict: As you can probably tell, I quite enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. It may not have caused tears to run down my cheeks or caused me to burst out laughing, but it really did touch my heart and my dreams…

Previous Scottish Ferry Tale: IMM, Nancy Volkers, teaser tuesday, waiting on wed,  Nancy Tour Guide,