1927 Violet will be studying at the Edinburgh School of Gardening for Women (what a title!) - she happens to fall in love with a wonderful man but he doesn't fit her parents desire of the right kind of husband for her. Violet boldly decides to head to Nepal to study plants that survive in harsh conditions. This image describes both Violet and Daisy.

2020 Daisy finds her great aunt Violet's letters and decides to journey to Kathmandu where Violet lived and learn more about her life there. She ended up spending more time there than she had planned because of the worldwide pandemic. But she found a family she had never known that ended up being a blessing for her.

Both were very strong women who faced some daunting challenges.

I read and listened to this book and the narrator had a halting way of speaking that was distracting, so reading would be better. There is a good bit of the book that talks about the pandemic and climate change, which took away from my interest in Violet and Daisy .

My thanks to Net Galley, Lake Union Publishing and Brilliance Audio for an advanced copy of this e-book and audiobook.

This is a unique story, using the dual timelines of Violet in 1927, and her great- great niece Daisy in 2020.
The characterisation of the two women, living a century apart, is impeccable, I felt I knew these women. The descriptions of Violet’s life in Edinburgh, then her arduous and eventful journey to Katmandu, and Daisy’s journey to follow in her footsteps to Nepal, in the shadow of Mount Everest, were so meticulously drawn, I felt I was there with them.
A fantastic read, Fiona Valpy never disappoints, I loved this book, it’s such an unusual story, but completely gripping.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of this book.

What a beautifully written book! This is my first Fiona Valpy book and I was hooked from the beginning with the story, the setting, the characters, all of it. The reader is taken on a journey from Scotland to Napal, in a dual timeline story that pulls you right in. For any historical fiction fans who also long to see the sky of Nepal, this book is for you. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Excellent story, very inspiring, it has that touch of mixing historical facts with stories of modern-day improvement that the author knows how to describe very well. In addition, I liked that it is also framed in the time of the pandemic. I strongly recommend this reading.

This is my first book by Fiona Valpy such an inspirational story. This classic dual timeline set in Nepal in the 1920’s and the present day. I absolutely loved the location for this book, the descriptions of the setting felt as if I was standing and walking the streets of Katmandu and other remote towns. A beautifully written story of love, loss courage and adventure. 4 stars
I would like to thank the author, Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for my copy of this novel, in exchange for my honest review.
#TheSkyBeneathUs #NetGalley.

An incredible story based on thorough research and many factual details interwoven into a beautifully written novel.

Such an uplifting tale that explored the connections between Scotland and Nepal, between Daisy and her Sherpa family.

Strong female characters.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

This book with a beautiful cover is the most memorable and satisfying read of September. "The Sky Beneath Us" is an exceptional historical novel that takes readers from Scotland to the high-altitude Khumbu valley of Nepal. The author vividly describes trekking in the Himalayas, showcasing its rich biodiversity. The story is told in a dual timeline, following the lives of Violet and her great-great niece Daisy. Daisy's story begins in March 2020, highlighting the impact of COVID-19 even in a remote Himalayan village in Nepal. This book is a powerful testament to the resilience and unwavering generosity of the Sherpa people. It's an inspiring and uplifting story of overcoming life's challenges. My thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the digital ARC.

This is another book with a dual time line. Violet breaks away from her family to go to the Edinburgh School of Gardening for Women. While there she meets and falls in love with Callum and against both parents wishes want to marry. When Callum gets an opportunity to go to Nepal he takes it with the plan that the money he earns will help them start a life together. Violet decides that she is going to follow him to Nepal and hopefully marry and the rest of their story seems really predictable. The second time line is Daisy who sets out in March 2020 for Nepal to learn more about her ancestor. Surprisingly I didn't prefer one time line over the other which is rare. Daisy's trek to get to the village of Phortse was certainly not for the faint of heart and all the characters were wonderful. The atmosphere of being that high up in the Himalaya and how hard and simple life was almost makes it a character in itself. One big downfall for me was the pandemic. Yeah I know it happened and I lived through it but those first days are still too vivid in my mind to want to read about it just yet.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Lake Union for giving me the opportunity to read this digital copy.

I really enjoyed this book. I liked the dual timeline and I really loved the scenery.
The scene setting was just amazing and sometimes I felt like I was there.
Really recommended. An amazing book!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

I loved this book! I have read a few Fiona Valpy and this has been one of my favorites. We get two connected timelines that are mostly set in a village of the Himalayas. I loved that we spent a lot of time there and got to have a feeling for the culture and setting. The descriptions of the travel and hike to this remote area was captivating. I thought the author did a wonderful job with the descriptions.

Sometimes when there are two story lines I am riveted by one but not both. I thought both story lines were interesting and I wanted to know what happened in both. Given that a lot of this story centers around plants, collecting plants and having gardens it sure made me want to visit some of these places. I have a new appreciation for the study.

Sherpa culture is prevalent in the story and I thought the author showed a lot of respect for the culture. I enjoyed some of the backstory we were given before tourists came to the area to climb. I highly recommend this book and encourage you to watch the video mentioned by the author. It is on her website and shows us her visit to the area. Thank you Netgalley for the chance to review this book.

I have read many books by this author, but this one is my favourite. It's a special book, one that touches you, even once the story has ended. I think the author has had a spiritual experience which has flowed out into her writing. There were lines I highlighted, lines that will stay with me. I liked the dual timeline, I liked learning about mountain life, I liked the way the author linked past and present. With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Sky Beneath Us by Fiona Valpy. I found this story fascinating. Daisy went on this exploration during Covid and met some of her relatives and learned valuable information about her cousin Violet. Her cousin Violet had valuable information in her journals about flowers and plants used in developing drugs to help people who had cancer and other serious illnesses.

In a dual timeline almost a hundred years apart, modern day Daisy follows her plant-hunter Aunt Violet and her trek to Kathmandu, Nepal, in search of rare plants. An excellent book with detail about Nepal, plant knowledge and the strength of family. Recommended.

Loved this story especially Violet's part showing how times have changed and the prejudice shown to women doing a so called man's job and showing what a strong character Volley was. I also enjoyed Daisy's story, how the pandemic was woven in and the discoveries she made about Violet along the way. Definitely a book I would recommend

In a dual timeline we first visit Nepal in the 1920s with botanical illustrator Violet. She's based on real female characters from that period. Violet is in a predicament and goes in search of her husband Callum, who's on a botanical expedition. Women like Violet often accompanied their husbands on expeditions but didn't get any historical credit.

Violet ends up on the expedition herself, helping to identify and paint specimens. It's gruelling work with hours of trekking and sleeping in tents, sometimes bitterly cold.

Fast forward a few decades and a relative of Violet's, Daisy, is travelling to Nepal to follow in Violet's footsteps, having read her journal. Daisy is a bit lost. She's divorced, didn't have the career she envisaged, and feels dissatisfied.

Daisy is shocked- and delighted - to find a rich seam of Sherpa relatives as she makes her way to Phortse. They make her welcome when Covid strikes and the pandemic means she can't leave Nepal. It was the same for Violet when she had nowhere else to go. The Gherkas offered her warmth and hospitality.

I loved the rich descriptions, particularly the secret Valley of Flowers. I could almost smell the fragrance and see the wonderful blue of Meconopsis Horribla, "discovered" by Violet, which really does exist.

I enjoyed learning about the Sherpa way of life, its simplicity and focus, and about the devoutness of the people. I was already cynical about the industry of exploitation that has developed around Everest. While the Sherpas are very agile, determined and fully capable of escorting unfit tourists to the top of their goddess's head, they do so at enormous personal cost.

Global warming is also having an impact in the Himalayas, and the weather has become more erratic. In the book Daisy goes back with her daughters to help the people of Phortse build glasshouses. It's thrilling to learn that this work really is happening, and Fiona Valpy, at the end of the book, describes how she went there.

I became so invested in Daisy and Violet, and their wonderful Sherpa family. It's great to know that Daisy and her parents feature in an earlier book, The Swallow Sings.

I'm a huge fan of Fiona Valpy. Her books contain strong women who display huge courage in times of trial. Violet and Daisy are both incredible characters that find strength within themselves to carry on during tough times that would make others crumble. Very well researched also.

This is my first foray into Fiona Valpy's writing and here I found myself visiting Nepal and the Himalayas, when I thought I would be in Scotland.

It's been great to travel in this dual timeline, in which we explore the same locations at different times and see how the story of these two very different women from the same family connects.

We learn the story of Violet and her grandniece Daisy, and how despite the years that separate their lives, the Himalayas return to them and surround them every step of the way.

I thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion, here I add a new destination to my historical fiction reading.

The descriptions in this book were actually perfect. I could see the mountains, flowers and scenery. I could smell the fresh air. I felt as if I were with the characters in the book. I enjoyed the dual timelines and both the main characters - I thought the chapters switched seamlessly. It was a well researched and impeccably written story. The issue I had with the book was reliving the early days of the pandemic. I was not quite ready to feel the isolation, the unknown, heartache and utter fear that I felt during those early days and months. Because Valpy is such an incredible writer, I was literally taken back 4.5 years ago... which was not the most pleasant feeling. That being said, I truly enjoyed the other aspects of this book. The woman in 2020 following her great-great aunt violet's diary to the shadows of Everest. How the pandemic and strangers help her uncover more parts of her great-great-aunts life and secrets.
Thank you Netgalley for my advanced reader copies.

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

I enjoyed reading this dual timeline story set in 1927 and 2020 and we read about what happened during those times through the viewpoints of Violet as well as Daisy.

Happy that her parents have agreed for Violet to study at Edinburgh School of Gardening for Women, she is not sure what will happen next.

Leaving Scotland, she goes to Nepal, where there is a place called Phortse in the Himalayan Mountains.

In the present Daisy has come across some letters and diaries of her lgreat-great-aunt Violet letters. She had wished to go to Nepal and find out more about Violet, how her life changed and what became of her.

As Daisy and her Mum plan to travel, the pandemic breaks out and at the same time she’s on the plane on her own. What she was hoping to do was hike to Mount Everest, and hopefully ask those she meets about Violet as she does so, but now she can’t do that.

Meeting two Sherpa men, they allow her to come with them to their village.

It was interesting reading about the Himalayan Mountains and Nepal and what was grown there. The descriptions were beautiful of the scenery, the people and teahouses,

I highly recommend this book.

I absolutely loved this fascinating, inspiring, and hopeful story. For someone with aphantasia (the inability to visualise in the mind’s eye), Valpy’s vivid descriptions brought the gardens and landscapes in Edinburgh and the wilds of the Himalayas to life for me.

I fell in love with the Sherpa community, their culture, and their deep care for one another. It was fascinating to read how lockdown affected a culture so different from my own.

This was my first Fiona Valpy novel, but it certainly won’t be my last. The Sky Beneath Us is a beautiful story about love, hope, enduring difficult times, powerful women, rediscovering yourself, finding family, and the importance of nurturing our planet—not just for now, but for future generations of all living creatures.

Many thanks to Anne at Random Things Tours and Fiona Valpy for having me on the tour and kindly gifting me a digital copy in return for an honest review.