A Rope - in Case

Lillian Beckwith's books frankly detail her experiences as a prim English schoolteacher encountering the uninhibited Hebrideans just after WW II. After the first shocks of the vanishing china pattern (those delicate yellow flowers were egg stains), the "wee hoosies," and the daily life in a primitive cottage, she spreads her wings. She doesn't romanticize the difficult lives of the islanders, but she enjoys them as they enjoy life. The books (all 6) are hilarious, compassionate, and loving. And they're back in print through the Akadine Press. (ISBN 1-888173-42-4.)