Philip Paris – författare

WATERSTONES SCOTTISH BOOK OF THE YEAR 2024'Engaging and enjoyable' - THE SCOTSMAN'Utterly compelling' - HEAT MAGAZINEBeing a woman was her only crime.Scottish Highlands, 1727. In the aftermath of a tragic fire that kills her father, Aila and her mother, Janet, move to the remote parish of Loth, north-west of Inverness. Blending in does not come easily to the women: Aila was badly burned in the fire and left with visible injuries, while her mother struggles to maintain her grip on reality. When a temporary minister is appointed in the area, rather than welcome the two women, he develops a strange curiosity for them that sets them even further apart from the community.Then arrives a motley troupe of travelling entertainers from Edinburgh, led by the charismatic but mysterious Jack. It is just the distraction Janet, and particularly Aila, needs: for the first time in a long while, their lives are filling with joy and friendship, and a kind of hope Aila hasn't known since her father's death. But in this small community, faith is more powerful than truth, and whispers more dangerous even than fire.Haunting and deeply moving, The Last Witch of Scotland is a story of love, loyalty and sacrifice, inspired by the true story of the last person to be executed for witchcraft in Britain.Perfect for fans of Outlander, The Mercies and The Witches of Vardo, or for anyone with an interest in the history of witchcraft, late renaissance Scotland and Highland history.'Compelling, evocative, heart-wrenching' - FIONA VALPY, author of The Storyteller of Casablanca'Paris's affecting novel imaginatively fills in the gaps with family tragedy, first love, a roving troupe of players, embittered neighbours, sacrifice and loss.' - THE SCOTSMAN

'A gripping story' - The Scotsman'A poignant love story suffused with a deep, moving humanity' - The Herald'A memorable novel' - The Sunday TimesSCOTLAND, 1662.Hunted, held prisoner and banished for a belief...As civil war rages and King Charles II tightens his grip on the Church of Scotland, childhood sweethearts Violet and Samuel are swept into a violent struggle for religious freedom. They pledge their hearts to each other - and to a cause that will test their faith, courage and love beyond measure.Hunted as rebels, imprisoned behind the walls of the infamous Greyfriars Kirkyard and torn from their homeland, Violet and Samuel are sentenced to a life of indentured servitude on the brutal sugar plantations of Barbados. But when their ship wrecks off the coast of Orkney, they become separated.Alone and captive in a foreign land, Violet must summon every ounce of strength to survive the horrors she faces - and to cling to the hope that Samuel is still alive. Can love endure across oceans, through wars and captivity?A Fire in Their Hearts is a powerful, epic tale of love, faith and survival, inspired by the extraordinary true events of the seventeenth-century Killing Times, by the bestselling author of The Last Witch of Scotland, Waterstones Scottish Book of the Year 2024.'Heartfelt and devastating . . . Philip Paris's remarkable story-telling brings some of the darkest episodes in Scottish history memorably to light.'S.G. MacLEAN, bestselling author of The Bookseller of Inverness'An utterly heart-wrenching novel.'FIONA VALPY, author of The Sky Beneath Us'Touching and dramatic . . . A beautifully written page-turner. Highly recommended.' ELISABETH GIFFORD, author of The Lost Lights of St Kilda

Orkney 1942. Forbidden lovers, divided by war, united by a secret act of creation.Amid the turmoil of the Second World War, a group of Italian prisoners is sent to the remote Orkney island of Lamb Holm. In the freezing conditions, hunger and untold hardships of Camp 60, this ragtag band must work together to survive.Domenico, a talented artist, is among them. He inspires his comrades to create a symbol of peace during these dark days of war, and out of driftwood and scrap they build the Italian chapel: a beacon of hope and beauty in a world ravaged by war.The chapel soon becomes a place of love, too. When Giuseppe, another POW, falls for local woman Fiona, he decides to hide a token of his love there . . . the secret of which is unveiled for the first time in The Italian Chapel.Based on an incredible true story, this heartbreaking and inspiring tale tells of forbidden passion, lifelong friendships and the triumph of the human spirit.

The Scottish Highlands, 1943A family torn apart by the secrets of war.In a remote corner of Scotland something momentous is underway. When Effie's father receives a government notice to quit Kirk Farm, the lives of the Ross family and those of the whole community are utterly disrupted.But for Effie – irrepressible, beautiful, vital – wartime changes bring her close to Toni, an Italian prisoner of war sent to work on the farm. Before long, the young couple are planning a future together when the war is finally over.It’s a future that's under threat from the start. For there are those among them who cannot quite be trusted. Someone is determined to find out what lies behind the upheaval – and to pass those secrets into enemy hands. To stop them will create devastation beyond anything anyone could have imagined.Based on true events of the Second World War, this evocative novel captures the emotions, dangers and atmosphere of the days when the world faced its darkest hour.

'Compelling, evocative, heart-wrenching and beautifully written. Highly recommended.' - Fiona Valpy, author of The Storyteller of CasablancaBeing a woman was her only crime.Scottish Highlands, 1727. In the aftermath of a tragic fire that kills her father, Aila and her mother, Janet, move to the remote parish of Loth, north-west of Inverness. Blending in does not come easily to the women: Aila was badly burned in the fire and left with visible injuries, while her mother struggles to maintain her grip on reality. When a temporary minister is appointed in the area, rather than welcome the two women, he develops a strange curiosity for them that sets them even further apart from the community.Then arrives a motley troupe of travelling entertainers from Edinburgh, led by the charismatic but mysterious Jack. It is just the distraction Janet, and particularly Aila, needs: for the first time in a long while, their lives are filling with joy and friendship, and a kind of hope Aila hasn't known since her father's death. But in this small community, faith is more powerful than truth, and whispers more dangerous even than fire.Haunting and deeply moving, The Last Witch of Scotland is a story of love, loyalty and sacrifice, inspired by the true story of the last person to be executed for witchcraft in Britain.Perfect for fans of Outlander, The Mercies and The Witches of Vardo, or for anyone with an interest in the history of witchcraft, late renaissance Scotland and Highland history.

'A gripping story' - The Scotsman'A poignant love story suffused with a deep, moving humanity' - The Herald'A memorable novel' - The Sunday TimesSCOTLAND, 1662.Hunted, held prisoner and banished for a belief...As civil war rages and King Charles II tightens his grip on the Church of Scotland, childhood sweethearts Violet and Samuel are swept into a violent struggle for religious freedom. They pledge their hearts to each other - and to a cause that will test their faith, courage and love beyond measure.Hunted as rebels, imprisoned behind the walls of the infamous Greyfriars Kirkyard and torn from their homeland, Violet and Samuel are sentenced to a life of indentured servitude on the brutal sugar plantations of Barbados. But when their ship wrecks off the coast of Orkney, they become separated.Alone and captive in a foreign land, Violet must summon every ounce of strength to survive the horrors she faces - and to cling to the hope that Samuel is still alive. Can love endure across oceans, through wars and captivity?A Fire in Their Hearts is a powerful, epic tale of love, faith and survival, inspired by the extraordinary true events of the seventeenth-century Killing Times, by the bestselling author of The Last Witch of Scotland, Waterstones Scottish Book of the Year 2024.'Heartfelt and devastating . . . Philip Paris's remarkable story-telling brings some of the darkest episodes in Scottish history memorably to light.'S.G. MacLEAN, bestselling author of The Bookseller of Inverness'An utterly heart-wrenching novel.'FIONA VALPY, author of The Sky Beneath Us'Touching and dramatic . . . A beautifully written page-turner. Highly recommended.' ELISABETH GIFFORD, author of The Lost Lights of St Kilda

'A memorable novel' - The Sunday Times'A gripping story' - The Scotsman'A poignant love story suffused with a deep, moving humanity' - The HeraldSCOTLAND, 1662.One love. One belief. One eternal flame.As civil war tears through the country and King Charles II tightens his grip on the Church of Scotland, childhood sweethearts Violet and Samuel are drawn into a dangerous struggle for the freedom to follow their belief. Their connection - quiet, instinctive, and deeply rooted - becomes the anchor that steadies them as the world closes in.Branded as rebels and imprisoned in Greyfriars Kirkyard, they are forced from their homeland and sent to work on the sugar plantations of Barbados. When a shipwreck off Orkney separates them, Violet must navigate a foreign land alone, holding fast to the steady belief that Samuel may still be alive.From Scotland's lowlands to the Caribbean's unforgiving plantations, A Fire in Their Hearts follows two souls bound by conviction and a love that endures - across oceans, war and captivity. Inspired by extraordinary true events of the seventeenth-century Killing Times, it is a story of resilience, faith and an unextinguished flame.A Fire in Their Hearts is a powerful, epic tale of love, faith and survival by the bestselling author of The Last Witch of Scotland, Waterstones Scottish Book of the Year 2024.'Heartfelt and devastating . . . Philip Paris's remarkable story-telling brings some of the darkest episodes in Scottish history memorably to light.'S.G. MacLEAN, bestselling author of The Bookseller of Inverness'Touching and dramatic . . . A beautifully written page-turner. Highly recommended.' ELISABETH GIFFORD, author of The Lost Lights of St Kilda

Orkney 1942. Forbidden lovers, divided by war, united by a secret act.Amid the turmoil of the Second World War, a group of Italian prisoners is sent to the remote Orkney island of Lamb Holm. In the freezing conditions, hunger and untold hardships of Camp 60, this ragtag band must work together to survive.Domenico, a talented artist, is among them. He inspires his comrades to create a symbol of peace during these dark days of war, and out of driftwood and scrap they build the Italian chapel: a beacon of hope and beauty in a world ravaged by war.The chapel soon becomes a place of love, too. When Giuseppe, another POW, falls for local woman Fiona, he decides to hide a token of his love there . . . the secret of which is unveiled for the first time in The Italian Chapel.Based on an incredible true story, this heartbreaking and inspiring tale tells of forbidden passion, lifelong friendships and the triumph of the human spirit.