Robin Jenkins was a new Scottish writer to me. The Cone-Gatherers was first printed in 1955 and has gone through four editions since them. The title was what drew me to the book. I was fascinated by what Cone-Gatherers were. I found out that they were people who gathered pinecones during World War II to have seed available to replant trees that were destroyed because of the war.

This book is the story of two brothers who are brought to a Scottish country estate to gather cones. Calum is a hunchback of retarded mentality who has an angelic face. Neil is his older brother who has made it his life's work to protect Calum. As with all good tales there needs to be a villain. The bad guy in this book is Duror, who is the gamekeeper on the estate. The author does a good job of making you feel both hate and pity for Duror as he proceeds toward madness.

This book will shred your emotions as the story develops. Not only the problems of the main characters but the animals in the story will bring hurt and in some cases tears. The episode when Calum is forced into being a runner for the deer hunt is a literary masterpiece of emotional turmoil.

I gave this book four-thistles but a word of warning is relevant. This book is sad and ugly in parts. If you do not want your emotions gravely disturbed than choose something else. If you want to read a simple tale that will make you feel strong feelings than it is a must read. This book is not easy going but I felt like I had experienced something important when I finished it. This hard back book is available for £6.39 plus shipping/handling and if you want to use a credit card go here. If you want to pay with cash or call in the order go here.