From the very first pages, this story pulls you headlong into a family unraveling under the weight of past sins and buried secrets. Set against the rugged Scottish coast, this book is raw, emotional, and impossible to put down. Once the drama begins, there’s no looking away.
Echoes Of The Past by Evelyn Hood
Series: The Lowrie Family #1
Genres: 20th Century Historical Romance

Can a family thrive after the death of a domineering patriarch?

Buckie, Scotland 1912

One year after Weem Lowrie’s death, his wife Jess and children are still living in his shadow, bound by the strict decisions he imposed when he was alive.

Eldest son James and his sister Bethany are trapped in marriages arranged to bolster the value of the family’s fishing business. Youngest son, Innes, struggles with the memory of his father’s disapproval over his failure to become a fisherman.

James longs to take over as skipper of the family fishing boat, the Fidelity, rather than working for his uncle. Bethany dreams of escaping from her role as a wife and stepmother to two young children and Innes longs for acceptance and respect from his siblings and to be seen as a man. But pursuing these aims only seems to invite new conflict into their lives.

And when Jess’s childhood sweetheart returns to Buckie, his attempts to help the family using his wealth and influence seem destined to cause even more chaos.

Storytelling at its best, Evelyn Hood is the original bestselling Scottish saga writer 💫

Previously published as The Shimmer of the Herring

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In this series: Hope For the Future
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I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review

Even in death, Weem Lowrie’s shadow looms large over his family, and the damage he caused continues to ripple through the lives of his three adult children. The consequences of his actions are inescapable, and watching the family navigate the fallout is both heartbreaking and utterly gripping.

I genuinely couldn’t put this book down. The drama, the shock, the emotional twists—it all kept me turning pages late into the night. Every revelation landed hard, and just when I thought things couldn’t get worse, they did.

At the heart of the story is Jess, a mother driven by the same simple wish most parents share: she wants her children safe, secure, and happy. But one devastating night changes everything, shattering the fragile balance holding the family together. After that, life can never return to what it was—and the story doesn’t shy away from showing the emotional wreckage left behind.

This is not a gentle or sanitized historical novel. There are intense moments but that realism only adds to the impact. Evelyn Hood’s straightforward, accessible writing style makes the story easy to sink into, while still delivering emotional depth and authenticity.

The setting of Buckie in 1912 is vividly brought to life. It’s clear the author has done her research, particularly in portraying life by the sea and the realities faced by women at the time. The characters feel fully formed and believable, and the sense of place is so strong that Buckie itself becomes part of the story.

Echoes of the Past is a powerful and emotionally charged opening to The Lowrie Family series. I loved being immersed in this world—even when it hurt—and I’m more than ready to see what comes next in Hope for the Future.

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