Music in the Hills

Drumberley, Book 2

By: D. E. Stevenson

Narrated by: Lesley Mackie

After spending time combatting terrorists in Malaya, James Dering returns to Scotland. He starts a new life at Mureth House, the home of his aunt and uncle, Mamie and Jock Johnstone, where he hopes to learn to be a farmer. But he soon learns that picking up farming isn't an easy task and is made even more complicated by the unexpected ups and down of rural village life. Sheep-stealing crooks, village gossip, lovestruck teenage runaways, and a brunette bombshell all disturb the peaceful solitude James had willingly signed up for. And, of course, there's Rhoda Ware, the woman he left behind....

Could she be the key to James' happiness?

©1950 D. E. Stevenson (P)2015 Story Sound

Good story, clean,

What made the experience of listening to Music in the Hills the most enjoyable?

If you are sick listening to the F word every sentence and you don’t want to think that men think only about sex and if you cannot stand Sebastian York’s voice this might be the series for you. I listened all the way through . It has a good story, it is of another time and it is beautiful. Hardworking folks, considerate, caring. Beautiful setting. Some intrigue.
I didn’t love the narration all the time, but it was good.

Sweet, clean, old-fashioned entertainment.

If you're looking for excitement or drama, this is not the story for you. It is a little slow getting past the introduction of characters, but once you are familiar w them, they feel like old friends. I enjoyed the vivid descriptions of the English country life. A bit predictable on plot; I hope the author provides a twist in the following book in regards to James's choice....we'll see....

Return to Scotland

Dorothy Emily Stevenson (D. E. Stevenson), first cousin once removed to Robert Louis Stevenson and born in Edinburgh sets many of her delightful novels in Scotland. In this novel, set and written in the early 1950's when the impact of WWII, including rationing of food and petrol (gasoline) was still impacting the island of Britain, James returns from military service in the Far East to live on a farm in the Scottish boarders area with his aunt and uncle and learn to be a farmer.

This book contains some mystery, some romance, and much more. Real characters that the reader comes to care about. A location in Scotland that is a delight.

This book is the second in a trilogy. The first, Vittoria Cottage, is already available from Audible. Hopefully the third (titled Winter and Rough Weather in England and Shoulder the Sky in the US) will be added soon. Leslie Mackie has a delightful Scots accent that adds a touch of atmosphere to the story, while still being easy for the American listener to understand.

One of the best D. E. Stevenson books

Narrator is very good and the story a wonderful picture of rural Scotland in the 1950s. Wholesome without being cheesy or unbelievable.

Good, Relaxing Story

Not great literature, but a good, gentle story delivered in a pleasing way. This is the second story in the series.

Nice story with racial semi-slurs

One instance of Assyrians referred to disparagingly. Otherwise very enjoyable, good story, meek and mild.

Anti Semitic and Colonial Superiority

Even though her stories are wonderful and her characters are rich and likable, I can’t ignore the fact that she makes anti-Semitic comments at least once in almost every book I’ve read. I kept trying to push it out of my mind so I could just enjoy the rest of the story. But I’m a Christian and she presents Christians as being against Jews. The entire New Testament and the whole Bible was written by Jews and Jesus was a Jew so how could she present herself as a Christian writer when she makes these comments? She also expresses a superior colonial view of the African race. This also disturbs me deeply. Very sadly I’ve decided to stop reading her books because of this.