Carole Gunn is in a rut. She is married to a successful banker, has a teenage daughter and lives in a nice house in East Lothian but she has lost her purpose. Formerly working as an archaeologist in the University she now devotes all her time to being a wife and mother until she remembers, “that children are only ours on loan and someday you have to let them go.” She sets out to discover her destiny and goes on a journey into her past to assess her present and help her make decisions for the future. With her husband Ray away on business for a week Carole decides to revisit places in Edinburgh which meant something to her in her youth and, with the help of her ‘out of control’ satnav, she allows herself to be led to places and meet people she had almost forgotten existed. On her journey of discovery she also goes back to her childhood home in North Berwick to seek out the magical places she shared with her brother and attempts to form a closer bond with her artsy mother who owns a shop there.
But, following what could seem like a series of unbelievable coincidences, Carole soon starts to see the present through a different lens. Along the way the reader is also introduced to many interesting historical facts about the stone circles in Orkney and Shetland and the ancient peoples who inhabited Scotland centuries ago.
Everyday Magic is an uplifting fantasy tale with a mystical quality which will encourage readers to look at their own pasts and the things which have moulded us into the people we are today. It’s a glimpse into the possibilities life can hold if we stay positive and are not afraid to turn a corner and make a few changes. Charlie Laidlaw has once again given us a thought-provoking novel with a very light touch.