Sheilagh's brush : a novel

Summary: On the cusp of the Depression, Sheilagh Driscoll of isolated Rennie's Bay nearly dies while giving birth prematurely to baby Leah. The child survives but Sheilagh is traumatized by the birth and learns about age-old ways of preventing pregnancy. The result is an awakening that impacts on Sheilagh's relationship with all the women around her, especially her younger sister Claire. Informed by the occasional newspapers and magazines that make their way to Rennie's Bay via sea-going schooners, Claire's worldview contrasts sharply with Sheilagh's. Claire reacts against the claustrophobic outport. The ensuing conflict between the sisters sharpens through a moral crisis which threatens to tear their relationship apart.