A Bound Heart
In 1752, on a small Scottish island, Lark MacLeish lives a stark and simple but comfortable life with her granny. She is a keeper of herbs and bees in the employ of the island’s Laird, with whom she has grown up. She is also close with another neighbor who becomes a daring smuggling ship’s captain. Several decades after the failed Jacobite rebellion against the English, the past tragically comes back to haunt them all. After a sham trial, all three are found guilty and transported to the new world as indentured servants.
Much more than a simple romance, this superlative novel is not only lavishly written but historically informative. Full of pathos and non-stop excitement, the characters ensnare the reader’s interest, especially the lovable orphaned infant “red-headed stepchild.” We feel the pain and degradation many indentured experienced on the transportation ships. Convicted of wearing a kilt, the Laird keeps his dignity, and Lark perseveres through it all through faith and pluck. One doesn’t have to be a romance fan to love this book. A splendid and uplifting read.
