Thursday, May 29, 2014

From the Highlands to America

 
The free Kindle downloads are always an unknown, unless the book is a tried and true classic. As I was perusing the titles, I thought this one might fill my desire for a bit of adventure and action after having read a lot of G.K. Chesterton lately.
Zane Grey is a great action adventure novelist who writes the feminine side of the novel really well, and Tommie Lyn is a female author who writes action well and the romantic side of things even better. Had I not known that Tommie was female, I might not have guessed until near the end of the book.
This is the story of a young Highlander in the early 1700's and the life he lead as a poor farmer's son, who was trained to always be ready to stand up for and fight for his clan. He is torn between adventure and settling down, but in the end the decisions are made for him. After a series of tragic events, he ends up in America as a slave. Apparently this type of thing was not uncommon. The adventures in Scotland are contrasted with life in the swamps and eventually in the Blue Mountains where he escapes to. He is torn between loyalty to the ways of his father and doing what it takes to survive, something he is not always keen on doing because he is haunted by images of his past and memories of his murdered wife. Also he is being pursued by a blood thirsty vengeful man from the enemy clan, who follows him to America.  
This is the first of a multi-book series. It might be worthwhile reading the next one as it is well written and the author claims to be historically correct.
3 1/2 stars

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