The Other Side of Stone

The latest work by Saltire-shortlisted Linda Cracknell, The Other Side of Stone centres around a Perthshire woollen mill, revisiting it over three centuries through characters as diverse as a 19th century stone mason and modern-day architect. The primary timeline follows Catharine, a cotton spinner from Paisley and fierce suffragette, who has followed her husband home to the village where he's taken on a job at the local mill. Both militant members of the Labour Movement, it is through her developing connection to the mill that the intricate interweaving of the other stories is revealed. While fictional, the novella draws on many real histories of local mills, and offers a fascinating insight into the long-term impact of industrialisation upon rural Scotland, as well as the struggle for women's rights.