Aberdeen author, Janice Davidson, spent her first four years living in what had been her great grandparents’ home at Abbotshall in Cults. She knew her great grandmother, Annie Will, had been a great diary keeper, and was delighted when she discovered these diaries in a loft. They shine a light on a way of life that no longer exists. Annie was born in 1858, the youngest of five surviving children, later raising seven children and celebrating her golden wedding anniversary. She began keeping a diary when she was 21, and the pages reflect the highs and lows of her life (1858-1936). One Christmas Day entry expresses the children’s joy at getting a toy doll, orange and sweets, while other entries reflect war-time worries. The illustrations and photographs included are also of great interest.
Book Review: A Buchan Lass – The Diaries of Annie Will by Janice Davidson
