In 1900 when Catriona Cameron was giving birth to Victoria , it was her father-in-law, Jock, who paced the floor, while her philandering husband, John, was enjoying another's charms in Paris . To his surprise and anger, when John returned to his father's farm in Scotland , Jock threatened him with a gun and told him never to return.

Victoria , adored by her grandfather, had an idyllic childhood, learning to love the farm and the surrounding countryside. He taught her to capture 'a day that's beautiful because you're with the person you love most in all the world' and keep it in a walnut shell to save for a bad day. She met Robert, Lord Inchmarnock's son and was sure that she was in love. But then her grandfather died, and because he had never got around to changing his Will, his son inherited the farm and Catriona and Victoria had to move to a rat-infested hovel. They had no money, but they had friends and life began to improve until the war that began in

1914 brought more tragedy to Victoria and her friends.

A warm story, happy and sad by turns, loveable characters and plenty of Walnut Shell Days.