Catch the Moments as They Fly - by Zoë Strachan (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Catch the Moments As They Fly is a vividly realised portrait of class, love, and womanhood in mid-twentieth century Scotland, told in Strachan's subtle and delicate prose. A radiant example of historical fiction. On Nicola Sturgeon's list of Best Books of 2023. Spanning the 1930s to the 1960s, CATCH THE MOMENTS AS THEY FLY is a vividly realised portrait of class, ambition and womanhood in a rapidly changing Scotland. Told in Strachan's subtle and delicate prose, it tells the story of Rena--ambitious, attractive, and determined to see her family escape their shameful past. A new town offers a chance at the respectability and independence she craves, but is it enough? When she marries Bobby Young--charming, cosmopolitan and haunted by his own memories--doors begin to open for the couple. Together, they could make their mark on the world--or lose everything they have. Pre- and post-war Scotland are brought to life in this radiant example of historical fiction Fiction.

Review Quotes

"Woven through CATCH THE MOMENTS AS THEY FLY is an almost Fitzgerald-like awareness of the subtle corruptions and compromises that haunt our dreams of 'self-improvement' and social aspiration. Glasgow and Kilmarnock are much more than mere backdrops to the delicate web of human voices and fates in the novel: their own civic destinies, spanning two world wars and decades of aftermath, play a powerful and evocative part in this wonderfully vivid and moving portrait of the past." -Wayne Price, author of Mercy Seat

"CATCH THE MOMENTS AS THEY FLY is, simultaneously, an engrossing and affecting love story, a family saga, and a deft portrait of Scottish urban life in the wake of two world wars. Subtle, layered, and full of captivating historical detail as well as vividly drawn characters, this is a novel to get lost in. Absolutely compelling." -Jane McKie, author of Carnation Lily Lily Rose

About the Author

Strachan grew up in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire. She studied Archaeology and Philosophy at the University of Glasgow and earned an MPhil in Creative Writing at the universities of Glasgow and Strathclyde. She later became a creative writing tutor at the university of Glasgow. Strachan's writing has won the Betty Trask Award; been shortlisted for the Saltire First Book of the Year; seen her named Writer-in- Residence at the National Museum of Scotland; awarded the Hermann Kesten fellowship; nominated for the London Book Awards; shortlisted for Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust Book of the Year; among other accolades. Strachan lives in Glasgow with her partner, the novelist Louise Welsh.