Bonds of Friendship

The continuation of Evelyn Hood's The Paisley Women Scottish saga series.
Will their friendship help them navigate difficult times?
Paisley, Scotland 1775
In the midst of a street brawl, Margaret Knox first encounters Islay McInnes, a Highland girl struggling to support herself and her two cousins in the Paisley slums.
Their two lives are polar opposites. Islay, at sixteen, spins yarn to make ends meet whilst Margaret, wife to a surgeon and teacher at the pauper school, pursues charitable endeavours to ease the plight of those less fortunate.
With the slums rife with illness and as the pox begins to spread Margaret seeing it as her Christian duty to help, persuades her friend Jamie Todd to allow Islay and her cousins to live above his weaving shop.
Meanwhile Islay is torn when she receives a marriage proposal that would mean moving away from all she knows and cares for, especially Margaret. But when she falls for a man who doesn't seem to care for her at all, the consequences are disastrous.
Can Islay stay in the new home she has grown to love and can Margaret hold together a family beset by conflict and illness?
The continuation of The Paisley Women saga series from Evelyn Hood, the original bestselling Scottish saga writer. Storytelling at its best'
Previously published in paperback as A Matter of Mischief
PRAISE FOR EVELYN HOOD
'Compelling from the start, heartfelt and beautifully written.' - Rosie Clarke
'If you like Catherine Cookson, you'll love Evelyn Hood's books.' - Lizzie Lane
'Evelyn Hood's characters step off the page and into your heart.' - Sheila Riley
'This is addictive and heartfelt storytelling, with colourful characters you'll never want to say goodbye to.' - Jane Lark
''Loved the strong, relatable characters. A lively, refreshing read.' - Kate Eastham
'Wonderfully descriptive, with memorable characters and a true sense of place.' - Tracy Baines
'Faultless historical detail and emotionally complex characters makethese engrossing and intelligent Evelyn Hood's sagas deeply satisfying' - Maisie Thomas
'Evocative, beautifully rich, brilliantly detailed and meticulously researched - this story transported me and kept me up way past my bedtime - a triumph of a story. I very highly recommend Evelyn Hood' - Renita D'Silva
'Scotland's Catherine Cookson' - Scots Magazine
'Hood is immaculate in her historical detail' - Scottish Herald
'Quite simply, I couldn't put it down. A rich and rewarding read' - Emma Blair
'Evelyn Hood has been called Scotland's Catherine Cookson. Unfair. She has her own distinctive voice' - Scots Magazine
'Touching, romantic and unforgettable' - Reader Review
'Love all her books' - Reader Review
'Evelyn Hood produces the best of stories' - Reader Review
'I cannot put her books down' - Reader Review
'Love everything Evelyn Hood writes' - Reader Review
'Evelyn Hood is a fantastic writer, bringing the past to life and drawing you right into the story' - Reader Review

Sunday Times bestselling author, Evelyn Hood was best known for her Scottish family sagas set in her hometown of Paisley (Renfrewshire) and on the Clyde Coast, where she also lived. Her seven-volume Prior's Ford books are set in a modern-day fictitious village in Dumfries and Galloway.
Throughout her distinguished career, she published more than 40 novels, numerous short stories, as well as plays, pantomimes, musicals, and poems. She also authored "Forward by Degrees," a commissioned history of the University of Paisley, and "Mill Memories; Interviews with Former Employees of Paisley's Thread Mills," which preserves the legacy of the town's textile industry. A former journalist, Evelyn wrote under several pen names, including Eve Houston, Elizabeth A. Webster, Louise James, and Evelyn Steel.
Passionate about literature and the arts, Evelyn frequently adjudicated competitions, gave public readings, and mentored emerging writers. She was also deeply involved in amateur dramatics in Paisley, directing musicals and plays.
Evelyn Hood passed away in Ayrshire in 2023, but the legacy of her writing continues, inspiring a generation of saga writers and touching reader's hearts worldwide.