Glencoe: A Romance of Scotland

Glencoe, a Romance of Scotland by Muireall Donald is a wonderful story. I love Scottish history and bought this book due to the title. Looking for another account of the Glencoe massacre, I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Yes it is a love story, but it is also a great account of survivors of the Glencoe MacDonalds trying to survive in the hills a year after the massacre. The main character is Niall MacDonald and his 4 younger brothers and a small collection of survivors trying to make it through one day at a time in the fall out after the massacre. Niall then takes the lovely Meg Campbell and her younger sister Elizabeth, who are wards of the Campbell Earl of Argyll, hostage. Meg and her sister's captivity in the beautiful but wild highlands with the remnants of the Glencoe MacDonalds is the meat of the story. As we get a wonderful and view of the wonderfully simple but harsh life of the Scottish highlander. More comes to light into who Niall and Meg really are as people and a final confrontation of love, revenge, hate, deceit, jealousy, acceptance and forgiveness swirl into a truly great tale. More than another telling of the Glencoe massacre this takes it to the next chapter of survival and redemption.

I loved reading Muireall Donald's description of the highland and the detail of the way the people lived. I loved her hero, Niall McDonald. I'm sending a copy of this book to my friend in Scotland, hoping she will love it as much as I did.

Rivalry, romance and Scotland. They all seem to fit neatly into this Scottish Highland historical novel. The survivors of the Glencoe Massacre in 1791, the MacDonalds, and the young wards of the Campbell of Argyle, are brought together to redefine the definition of honor. Sure the hero and heroine fall in love, but it is a long and dangerous journey through a highland winter. Muireall Donald paints a vivid picture of the Highlanders and their way of life. A good read for a cold winter's night by the fire. If ye kin.

When I bought this book, I was going to read it then donate it to my local library. Well, I've read it and I'm keeping it! This book is a quick read, especially if you're a Scottish history buff. Even if the history of the Glencoe Massacre is unknown to you, you can pull enough information from the book to give you a fair idea of what transpired. I don't often read books twice, but this is one book that will remain in my own library to be picked up again.

Muireall Donald has accomplished what every writer hopes to achieve. Using one of the 17th century Scotland's most brutal massacres, she takes the soul of the Scot and bares it for us in a tale of love that transports us back in time. Skillfully woven into this compelling love story is political intrigue and a realistic view of life during a time when the Scottish Highlanders were struggling to maintain their clan against an increasingly hostile reign. Ms. Donald creates characters with depth and dimension. Her words paint a picture so real that the reader feels a part of the story rather than a passive bystander. This is a book for everyone. It's certainly a book that will have you searching the racks for the next offering by this talented writer.