Donald and his seven cows: A poetic tour-de-force. (Paperback)

Our summary description

As Independent Scottish booksellers, we write all of our descriptions personally, we hope you enjoy this one.

Donald Michael MacDonald may have invented the round mile. Every day he walks its 2,240 yards with his seven cows, tracing the same path through memory, myth and time. The fairy knoll and the poison pool sit alongside ancient truths and unanswered questions. Donald rarely leaves this small circle of land. He does not need to. For him, all of history lives here.

But the island is changing. Wind farms rise. A spaceport looms. An American billionaire builds his Big House, bringing disruption in its wake. The quiet order Donald has protected for years begins to fracture. He suffers a devastating loss, one that threatens both his livelihood and his sense of self.

When an old friend unexpectedly returns, Donald finds the strength to walk the round mile once more. Together with his remaining cows, he begins the slow work of reclaiming his path as the island steps uncertainly into a new age.

Donald Michael MacDonald Invented the Round Mile is a tender, quietly powerful novel about land, memory and resistance, rooted in place and rich with compassion.