An epic, sweeping historical novel from Sunday Times bestseller Karen Swan, The Wild Isle Series is set on the Scottish island of St Kilda and is the first in a new series.

'The Last Summer is meticulously researched and beautifully told . . . a wonderfully satisfying read' – Santa Montefiore

The Sunday Times Bestselling Historical Fiction

Summer on St Kilda – a wild, remote Scottish island. In the 1930s, two strangers from drastically different worlds meet . . .

Wild-spirited Effie Gillies has lived all her life on the small island of St Kilda. But when Lord Sholto, heir to the Earl of Dumfries, visits, the attraction between them is instant. For one glorious week she guides the handsome young visitor around the isle, falling in love for the first time – until a storm hits and her world falls apart.

Three months later, St Kilda lays silent as the islanders are evacuated for a better life on the mainland. With her friends and family scattered, Effie is surprised to be offered a position working on the Earl’s estate. Sholto is back in her life but their differences now seem insurmountable, even as the simmering tension between them grows . . .

Then, when a shocking discovery is made back on St Kilda, all her dreams for this bright new life are threatened by the dark secrets Effie and her friends thought they had left behind.

Opposites attract in this epic and spellbinding novel, which transports us from the untamed beauty of St Kilda to the glamour and intrigues of high society in the 1930s.

The Last Summer is the first book in the Wild Isle series by Sunday Times bestseller Karen Swan, inspired by the true history of St Kilda and its small island community. It is followed by The Stolen Hours.

'The most exciting, enchanting and evocative story of forbidden love I’ve ever read. I truly loved it and am waiting feverishly for the second instalment' – Cathy Bramley

'Powerful writing and a wonderful premise make this a novel you’ll simultaneously want to savour and race through. I loved it and can’t wait for the next in the series!' – Jill Mansell

'A delicious romantic tale of wild 1930s Scotland . . . perfect for everyone dreaming of summer' – Rachel Hore

"This sweeping love story gripped us from the start, so we can’t wait for the next in the series. Best historical romance of 2022" - Independent

"The queen of destination books...exciting...beguiling...The first in a new series, we're already looking forward to meeting these characters again . . ." - Woman and Home

"Vividly drawn and beautifully atmospheric, this is a book to savour." - Heat Magazine

"A promising new series from Swan . . . The vivid beauty and danger of St. Kilda only enhances Swan’s effortlessly intricate plotting. Toeing the line between romance and historical fiction, this gorgeous story and its unconventional heroine are sure to win hearts." - Publishers Weekly