Unconformity by John McLellan

A Review by Katharine Douglas

When I heard that Scottish author John McLellan was planning his second novel, after his beautiful debut with The Faultline, I waited with anticipation and some trepidation. In The Faultline (published in 2022), McLellan did hint that there was more to discover of his characters’ journey in life, and I hoped that his second novel would not disappoint. Spoiler….it did not!

This is the second book in McLellan’s new geology-inspired series, with the novels primarily set amongst the unique area of Torridon and in particular Kinlochewe (where all of The Faultline takes place). The title, Unconformity, is another geological term, which the writer employs as a metaphor for the novel itself; an interesting concept and one he uses extremely well.

Unconformity is unusual, in that it’s set in four parts, over four different summers. I rather enjoyed this. It begins in Chamonix, Swiss Alps, as young people (some of whom appeared in The Faultline) reconnect by chance on a Climbing Club Meet one summer. Thereafter, the action returns quickly to the beautiful NW Highlands of Scotland, with a significant part set near Loch Eriboll (the site of a famous geological unconformity on Ben Arnaboll). Then follows a life-changing and poignant section in Assynt (home of some of the oldest rocks in Europe, if not the world), before returning to Kinlochewe, Torridon, where the whole of The Faultline was set.

As someone who has never studied geology, but has had a keen amateur interest, I learned a lot through reading this novel and its predecessor. Terms such as ‘erratics’, ‘drumlins’, ‘faultline’ and ‘unconformity’ are so well described that the novels should appeal to both geologists and those with an amateur interest. It also was fascinating to ‘virtually’ climb the mighty mountains of Suilven and Quinag. I really felt the trepidation of the journeys and the skills involved. Readers who are walkers will also enjoy these novels;  McLellan’s landscape descriptions are so vivid and real, you feel transported immediately into the Highland mountains.

Although Unconformity includes a lot about friendships, love and finding out who we really are, it is also an homage to the landscape of our wonderful country, as well as to the mountains. In producing two quality novels, John McLellan’s writing has made me think of my own life-long connections, both personally and to the land we live in as a nation. The author clearly has a great passion for rocks, landscape, for writing and also for people in general.

The Faultline was launched in 2022 and has become Ullapool Bookshop’s best-selling book ever, a fact which has astounded both the author and the bookshop itself. It is still topping our bestseller charts even now, some two years after its launch. I see no reason why Unconformity will not follow in its footsteps.