The Road from Belhaven

A Novel

By: Margot Livesey

Narrated by: Ell Potter

From the New York Times best-selling author of The Flight of Gemma Hardy, a novel about a young woman whose gift of second sight complicates her coming of age in late-nineteenth-century Scotland

“Bewitching and seductive.”—Rebecca Makkai, author of I Have Some Questions for You • “A treasure: a writer who understands the magic and mysteries of the human soul."—Chris Bohjalian, author of Hour of the Witch • “This book is a cold, clear, perfect lake."—Lauren Groff, author of The Vaster Wilds

Growing up in the care of her grandparents on Belhaven Farm, Lizzie Craig discovers as a small child that she can see into the future. But her gift is selective—she doesn’t, for instance, see that she has an older sister who will come to join the family. As her “pictures” foretell various incidents and accidents, she begins to realize a painful truth: she may glimpse the future, but she can seldom change it.

Nor can Lizzie change the feelings that come when a young man named Louis, visiting Belhaven for the harvest, begins to court her. Why have the adults around her not revealed that the touch of a hand can change everything? After following Louis to Glasgow, though, she learns the limits of his devotion. Faced with a seemingly impossible choice, she makes a terrible mistake. But her second sight may allow her a second chance.

Luminous and transporting, The Road from Belhaven once again displays “the marvelous control of a writer who conjures equally well the tangible, sensory world . . . and the mysteries, stranger and wilder, that flicker at the border of that world.”—The Boston Globe

©2024 Margot Livesey (P)2024 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Margot Livesey is an incandescent writer, generous and graceful, always imbuing her characters with astonishing humanity and grace. I love all Livesey’s books, but The Road From Belhaven has become my new favorite; I felt so deeply for Lizzie that I worried about her fate with the same love and indignation and hope I would have for a flesh-and-blood friend of my youth. This book is a cold, clear, perfect lake.”—Lauren Groff, New York Times best-selling author of The Vaster Wilds

“Gracefully evokes the magic and mystery of the rural world and the vitality and harshness of city life.”—The New Yorker

“Margot Livesey’s prose is so lucid, so precise, and so understated as she goes about conjuring and sustaining the lives of her characters, that the reader hardly notices how deep a claim Lizzie Craig has laid on the heart until it is in danger of breaking on her behalf. The only thing I could think to do when I finished the book was to begin again, I didn’t want it to end.”—Paul Harding, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Tinkers

A lovely story

I enjoyed this very much, and our narrator’s brogue was delightful, the only drawback being the on-again, off-again plugged nose, as if she had a cold while speaking.

Historical cultural context

Hypocrisy of Ms Urquhart asking Lizzie if she imagine the horror of having her child stolen.

Riveting story about hard choices and their consequences

This story transports you to 19th century Scotland. The beautiful setting and the thoughts of the narrator introduce the limited set of life choices for women in that time. I rooted for the protagonist and also despised some of her decisions - either way, I was emotionally invested.

The reading was beautifully done as well. A very enjoyable listen!

Perfection in a book, perfection as an audiobook

Fast-moving, historically evocative, with a tangible sense of place and a believable cast of characters, this book transported me to another place and time, as only an excellent book and audiobook can. Great narration, great writing. Satisfying on every level.

Bellhaven

Beautiful story, in a magical place. The characters are richly developed, realistically flawed, and very human.

Difficult to finish

I echo the opinions of so many other reviewers who enjoyed the first half but then found both the plot line and characters to be rather flat. I discovered that I didn’t really care for the protagonist, and therefore rooted for other characters instead. The premonitions, which initially drew me to purchase this book, didn’t propel the story forward at all. I struggled to not abandon the story, especially since it was so depressing from start to finish. I don’t recommend this one.