One evening in very early autumn, as they came down to the estuary to wash away the day’s sun and sweat, Bhòid saw, dark against the sunset, a flock of gannets diving for fish. Hundreds of birds spearing out of the air faster than the eye could follow, the water spurting from the gilded waves as they plunged beneath the surface.
He watched Sulaire stand on the shore, a contained energy quivering through her whole body, her eyes lit with the glow of late sun on water. She raised her arms like an ascending bird, ducked and dived, leaped across the sand—a mirror dance to the wild sky-dance of the birds.
He stood transfixed.
Then the sun dipped behind the distant hills and the moment was over.
Something in Sulaire was changed, something in her eyes, the way she held herself, balanced somewhere between awe and joy, and Bhòid saw that she and her totem had found each other.
The Gannet Quartet is a series that is loved by readers of all ages. With decades of experience as an English teacher, Charlotte Clutterbuck has written a novel where complex sentence structure meets accessible language and themes. Where historical insights are presented through storytelling. Where young readers delve into a captivating world that meets their advancing reading needs.
Twin Stars & the further volumes of the Gannet Quartet offer an engaging read for the whole family. In an age of shrinking attention spans, the author choses depth. Her prose is crafted to stretch the mind while flowing easily. Strengthening literacy and building vocabulary while remaining inviting and accessible.
If you know a Young Adult with advanced reading capabilities, this series is perfect for them. The Novels refuse to dilute language simply for speed of reading. Instead they strengthen comprehension and reading confidence through writing that challenges without overwhelming. Pair this with a rigorously researched historical account of Mesolithic Scotland, this novel is made for being devoured while simultaneously stretching attention-spans and literacy.
Discover Twin Stars on the New South Wales Premier’s Reading Challenge.
The Gannet Quartet is set in Scotland in the Mesolithic Period (Middle Stone-Age). The four volumes follow the lives of Sulaire and her twin brother Bhòid, young thrall members of the Beaver Clan, who survive a harsh environment and separation from each other to become the first settlers of Eilean—the Island of Bute, or Eilean Bhòid in Gaelic.
Bhòid and Sulaire live in a very hierarchical culture. Born as thralls, it seems impossible for either of them to fulfil their talents. Longing to become a Hunter, a leader amongst his clan, Bhòid contends with Athru, the bullying son of the Headman. From an early age, Sulaire shows herself to be a gifted Healer, but the Custom of the Bear Tribe and the jealousy of the Wise Woman Ead are against her. Together and separately, the twins face many challenges — from the winter Wolf-Guard to Sulaire’s near death from a wasting fever. When Bhòid injures Athru and has to flee for his life, the twins must cling onto hope that one day they will find each other again.
Publication – August 2023
Sulaire weighs the cost of pursuing both her love for Ruad and her healing powers. Meanwhile, Bhòid must take on the heavy responsibility of leading the Gannet Clan when they are threatened by the larger Aurochs Clan.
Publication – 2024
As Sulaire’s headstrong daughter Iolaire, the Eagle, grows up, she chafes against the restrictions that the Custom places on women. How can Bhòid teach her that her gifts of courage, athletic skill and a sense of strategy are not enough? Can she learn the self-discipline that might help the Gannets to face the growing threat fro the Aurochs Clan?
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Want to know more about the story behind Twin Stars and The Gannet Quartet? Charlotte Clutterbuck answers your questions about the series.
Twin Stars is set on the Isle of Bute where I lived as a child. We often went for picnics at Ettrick Bay (‘Wide Sands’ in the Quartet) and went paddling or riding in a pony cart. I’ve often returned to Bute and in 2018, on a longer visit than usual, I got the inspiration for the first two volumes and spent hours walking over all the trails that my characters use.
I strive to be as accurate as Jean M. Auel on realistic matters such as: do gannets remain in Scotland in winter (No, they migrate to Africa); or, what’s the oldest age recorded for a wolf (19 years). But I’m writing for an ageless reader, so there’s no description of sexual activity and very muted descriptions of violence––nothing to scare a talented 10-year-old or shock your 95-year-old granny.
I believe that many talented young readers are crying out for fiction that takes them beyond their own world. They need books that are grounded in a real but unfamiliar world that stimulates both their imagination and their thirst for knowledge. At the same time, they need books that offer a complex of style that allows for a deeper exploration of theme and motive, and develops their own command of language as they read.
The Author of the Gannet Quartet, Charlotte Clutterbuck, has a special connection to the Isle of Bute after spending time there as a child. In her first volume, Twin Stars, she connects readers to this corner of Scotland, capturing its beauty and ruggedness and telling the captivating history of Stone-Age Scotland.
“When I was a young child, my father commanded a submarine-rescue ship based at the naval station in Rothesay, the ancient historical capital of Eilean Bhòid, The Isle of Bute. I spent my early school years in a room overlooking the Clyde, watching the ferries and naval vessels coming and going. Although I have lived most of my adult life in Australia. Bute has retained its place in my heart, and a visit in 2018 provided the impetus for The Gannet Quartet.”
Bhòid flees from the mainland to Eilean Bhòid
As he reached the shore and sped across the shingle, there was a cry above him. Already the Hunters had seen him and the hounds would soon enough. The tide was running south, away from the chase, hard and rough. Drowning might be an easier death than letting the dogs catch him. If it wasn’t for Sulaire. He must save himself for her sake.
Breath coming in hoarse gasps, heart bursting in his chest, he pounded on. The dogs were in full cry now, their baying drawing closer, and there was nowhere to hide. His eyes darted from side to side as he ran, looking for something, anything to help him. Merak, he cried in his heart, Feorag! As if they had heard him, he saw, further down the shore, a log caught in an eddy, knocking against a spit of rocks running out from the shore. He put on a frantic burst of speed. Hurtling into the water, he waded towards the log and grasped it with one arm.
Grasping his sickle in one hand, he shoved off, kicking into deeper water until the tide took him in. Men and dogs threshed through the water after him. A spear grazed his leg. Another bruised his buttock, catching for a moment in the fold of his kilt, then falling into the water. The tide, whipped by the north wind, carried him southwards faster than the Hunters and dogs could run along the shore.
Life in the Middle-Stone Age
Although there has been a lot of research into Mesolithic climate, vegetation, animals and technology, archaeological evidence remains patchy. As these people lived in thatched houses rather than in caves, their artefacts have not survived as well as those of the earlier Paleolithic cave-dwellers. Little is known of what they thought and believed, so the story of Bhòid’s Clan is an imaginative reconstruction rather than a historical account.
Despite the challenges in discovering the history of this period, the author has built a realistic world leveraging the historical information that is available. Her loyalty to what little artefacts and archaeological evidence are available shines through in her writing, allowing readers to settle into a world that reflects what we know about the Mesolithic Era.
Twin Stars and the forthcoming volumes of the Gannet Quartet offer a perfect Book Club pick. Skip the predictable Book-Tok Book Club picks and dive into a story rich enough to enthral every reader in the room.
Twin Stars offers historical accuracies paired with captivating storytelling. The moral tension throughout the novel will spark meaningful discussion, reflection and debate. This story of an unbreakable bond between twins facing clan hierarchy and prejudice will draw readers in. Immerse yourself into a vividly imagined yet historically representative world as they fight for survival against all odds.
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