Hello, Everyone. Peter May has written three very interesting novels: The Blackhouse (2011), The Lewis Man (2012) and The Chess Men (2013). The background to the fictional events is a factual account of growing up and going to school on Lewis in the mid-twentieth century. He describes a community where Gaelic was still spoken at home and children often learned English only when they went to school. Throughout the books the older, Gaelic speaking culture shapes events and attitudes. This theme in the books reflects the interaction of the Gaelic and non-Gaelic cultures which was once more widely spread. Note, for example, that the 1901 census required the the completion of a column headed <quote> Gaelic or G. & E. <end quote> to be completed if the person enumerated was Gaelic speaking or bilingual. Regards, Alyson