My Heart's in the Lowlands

Had a wonderful adventure with Liz traveling through some of her favorite Lowlands of Scotland. You felt like she was truly involving you in her ventures. She is also going to provide an audio conference with several women who read her book so that we can speak with her personally. Thank you Liz for inspiring us all to make a journey in spirit.

This is a very unique yet enjoyable book. The author writes to the reader as a personal friend, invited to accompany her on a 10-day vacation rambling through the Galloway region of Scotland (the setting for some of her novels). The author draws upon her extensive knowledge and research of the region, as well as her personal travels, to take the reader along on a detailed journey, including packing bags, airline flights, car rentals, road conditions, language idioms, money, etc. on an imaginary trip through the sights and attractions of the area. The reader gets to vicariously meet people and see sights along the way, including experiencing jet lag, attending a local church, eating in wayside nooks, shopping, etc. and encounter Scotland "off the beaten path" as only a well-traveled companion could reveal the area. The book is enhanced with numerous evocative illustrations of the sights/scenes encountered, as well as a map of the area so you can follow along. I greatly enjoyed this book - for some pleasant hours, I felt like I WAS in Scotland. The "journey" was all too short, and I hope that this book might start a new genre, not only from this author but from others...

Have you ever desired to visit Scotland? If you love Scotland, but can't afford the trip, there's no better way to visit that My Heart's in the Lowlands by Liz Curtis Higgs. This armchair travel guide is written more like a novel than the non-fiction reference book one would expect. Higgs makes you feel that you're part of the story, part of the events happening all around you. Liz Curtis Higgs makes traveling to Scotland with her a realistic experience as she describes each step of the journey. She doesn't miss a detail - from her description of a Scottish church service to enjoying second breakfast - you'll feel like you're right there with her. The areas of Scotland that you visit in this book were also the settings for Higgs' historical novels. Dumfries and Galloway will win your heart all over again as you learn more about the places that captured your imagination in Thorn in My Heart, Fair is the Rose, and Whence Came a Prince. Award winning author Liz Curtis Higgs takes readers on a new type of adventure in My Heart's in the Lowlands, an armchair travel guide like no other. You'll have to remind yourself while reading that this is true to life because you'll feel like you're in one of Higgs' amazing novels. Review by: Jill Hart, CWAHM.com

For those of us who'd love to spend ten days touring the Scottish countryside, Liz Curtis Higgs' offer is irresistible: "Let's go, shall we? Just the two of us," she invites. The bestselling novelist who confesses to owning over 800 books on Scotland shows readers why her heart's in the hills and glens of the Scottish Lowlands. I couldn't read a sentence of this book without smiling and wiping away a tear or two - it was pure joy to read from page one. The detailed map in the beginning of the book allows readers to follow along while Higgs narrates our tour, complete with stops at her favorite pubs and tearooms. The text is embellished with gorgeous pen and ink sketches that showcase the beauty of Scotland, and each chapter begins with a carefully chosen quote from Robert Burns. I could hear the bagpipes as I turned the pages, taste the fresh scones and clotted cream, and smell the wildflowers! Readers can also visit the author's website to see over 150 full-color photos and to learn how to win a nine-day trip for two to bonny Scotland! --Christian Women Online Book Buzz

Reviewer: Hope Irvin Marston (Author of "Against the Tide: The Valor of Margaret Wilson" - Summer 2007) Black River, NY Scotland has captured the heart of Liz Curtis Higgs and now she invites you to come along...just you...to travel some highways and many byways of the Scottish Lowlands with her. For ten days she will escort you through the intriguing nooks and crannies of a country blessed with pleasant sites, friendly people and good food. (There's more to eat than haggis!) As you journey along with Liz at the wheel, she will regale you with tales of the people and places you visit, with the mesmerizing skills of the Ancient Mariner. Liz's verbal pictures of the pleasant life in the Lowlands are enhanced by well executed pencil drawings. Fans of Liz's acclaimed historical novels set in Dumfries and Galloway will recognize scenes from each one of the books. If you yearn to explore the quaint villages and crumbling castles, old bookshops and charming tearooms, but can't fit a trip to Scotland into your schedule--or your purse, take a virtual tour with Liz from your armchair. You'll find her writing, warm, personable and deeply evocative, just like South West Scotland.