At the age of seventeen, Elinor Bonnington's life changes as she sails from the sunny shores of Australia to the rugged heart of Scotland, leaving behind a budding romance with Michael. Resentment festers within her; Elinor blames her mother for their decision, and what happens on the ship strengthens her feeling of resentment.

But fate has a way of mending broken paths, as an old school friend and a rewarding secretarial job carve a new direction for Elinor in Scotland. Love blooms anew, ushering in a family, embraced with its shares of joys and hurdles. As the years roll by, a thin thread of connection to Melbourne lives on through her cherished friend, Dot.

Irene Lebeter's THE CLOCK CHIMED MIDNIGHT is a family saga filled with love, loss, and rediscovery against the evocative backdrops of Scotland and Australia.