Paisley mill girl, Jean McParland, has always had big ideas. Stifled by her small-town existence and increasingly frustrated by her humdrum job, she longs for a better future for herself and her daughter, Ava. So when old flame Billy re-enters her life, she’s easily seduced by his dreams of escape – an association which will have disastrous results. Fifty years later, and Ava is now a high-flying executive in Vancouver. But the death of her aunt, who brought her up, triggers a chain of events which leaves her searching for answers – and, ultimately, leads her back to the town of her birth... An immersive and enticing debut exploring the history of the Paisley Mills with a delicate touch. This book is full of longing, of interlocked psychologies and real life. The judges felt they could see the talent bubbling away and look forward to see what Tracy writes next. Saltire First Book of the Year Award Judges 2019 This is a very accomplished, page turning debut, switching confidently between the corporate environment surrounding Ava in present-day Canada and the parochial, conformist Paisley her mother knew, keeping readers in eager suspense over where their separate stories will go. The Herald