Silver Harvest

Daryl Fraser author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Story Machine

Published:5th Sep '24

Should be back in stock very soon

Silver Harvest cover

A meticulously researched historical family saga from an exceptional new voice

Change is Coming.

Four generations of a Lowestoft fishing family, rise and fall, with the fortunes of their town.

1826: Jacob Chapman stands on the beach in Lowestoft, preparing to put to sea in his own boat. Hunting herring – the silver darlings - off the east coast, just as his ancestors have done for centuries. But change is coming.

Over the next century the fortunes of Jacob’s family will rise and fall with the town. As generations come and go, and fortunes are made and lost, the Chapman’s will find that the seas of life are never still and that storms and squalls are always on the horizon. Silver Harvest follows four generations as they make their lives by the sea.

Daryl Fraser’s debut is populated with dynamic characters and incredible historical depth. It is an homage to Lowestoft and the people who have lived its streets and sailed from its port. Meticulously researched and stunningly realised, this is a debut to savour and return to time and time again.

"A sweeping family saga. The feuding Chapmans and Bulls populate the novel with arresting and engaging characters. But the true heroine of the novel is the port of Lowestoft in all her guises and the central romance is that of Lowestoft and the sea." Sarah Bower, author of 'Needle in the Blood'


"Powerful, thought-provoking and believable. The author's meticulous research truly brings the town of Lowestoft and its erstwhile inhabitants fully to life." Ivan Bunn, historian and author.


"Rich, evocative and highly readable. Here is Lowestoft through the ages, the roar of the sea and the clanking of boats, the smell of oil and fish, its grandeur and poverty, a place where families feud, fortunes are made and lost, and love is always as complicated as the tide." C.D.Rose, author of 'Walter Benjamin Stares at the Sea'


“It is the perfect blend of fact and fiction…and as you turn the pages of this book you will be taken on a journey back in time when you can almost hear the sea and smell the fish.” Derek James, Eastern Evening News


“An evocatively written story about the coastal port of Lowestoft, Suffolk... Beautiful & richly woven detail of the sea, its power and danger, fishing, the port expansion and the town, intertwined with the people’s lives in those times. Didn’t want it to finish!” Cathryn Pattinson, Goodreads review


“I chose Silver Harvest as the category winner because ultimately, it was the novel that delighted me the most. Each time I picked it up I was drawn so effortlessly into the rich history of our coast, the ebb and flow of two rival families playing out across generations. This book is a beautiful exploration of the raw power of nature, of time, of human struggle and endeavour, and it held fast from the very first chapter to the last.” Rob Perry, Category judge, East Anglian Book Awards

  • Shortlisted for Best Debut Novel at the East Anglian Book Awards

ISBN: 9781912665341

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: 402g

358 pages