When Katharine Stewart's first books were originally published, they were completely ahead of their time, promoting an environmentally sustainable lifestyle in a era before most people realised that modern food production and man's disconnection from nature were serious issues. They tell of the strength to be found in communities with a common purpose and how the people of the Highlands survived the worst that Scottish winters could throw at them. "A Garden in the Hills" celebrates one of mankind's oldest pleasures. Month by month, the circle of the seasons is luminously evoked as we are told of the practicalities of gardening, cooking, bee-keeping and wine-making. It is peppered with warm, personal insights and good humour. A love of living things shines through "A Garden in the Hills," making it a delightfully engaging and rewarding read.