The Edinburgh Skating Club

When you look at a painting, what do you really see? When eighteenth-century poet Alison Cockburn accepts a light-hearted challenge from her friend Katherine Hume to live as a man, in order to infiltrate Edinburgh's all-male skating club, little do they both realise how her new identity will shape their future. And in the present, art historian Claire Sharp receives a mysterious request: to settle once and for all the true provenance of the iconic painting The Skating Minister. The Edinburgh Skating Club is the tale of one woman's mission to infiltrate a male-dominated society. Imaginative, romantic and ultimately moving, this time-shift adventure celebrates the women overlooked by history - and, above all, love, in all its unexpected forms.

Michelle Sloan trained as a primary school teacher and studied drama and arts journalism. She is the author of several books for children. The Edinburgh Skating Club is her debut adults' novel. Originally from Edinburgh, Michelle now lives in Broughty Ferry with her family.