The Camerons — Robert Crichton

On her 16th birthday, Maggie Drum sets out from the grimy streets of her Scottish coalmining town to find a man of pride, independence and spirit fit enough to be her husband. She finds her man in Gillon Cameron, a tall fisherman from the Highlands, who will learn to go down into the mines yet refuse to settle for the grinding poverty of the coal miner's life. In a world that treats coal miners as little more than slaves, Maggie's steely determination and Gillon's abiding pride stake their claim to a better future for themselves and seven children. Robert Crichton, author of The Secret of Santa Vittoria, brings his stellar storytelling gifts to this sweeping family epic, capturing the Camerons' moments of triumph and loss, bitterness and love set in the magnificent landscapes and social battles of 19th century Scotland. First published in 1972, and a New York Times bestseller for more than five months, The Camerons draws you in with what at first appears to be a straightforward family drama, then captivates you by the complexity and depth of the Camerons' struggle to create a future of hope and triumph.