"For Promised Joy"

OVERVIEW:

The fascinating life of Flora MacDonald after the '45 ...

when, with her husband and family, the heroine of the Jacobites made her way to the New World to escape the punitive deprivation of Skye - only to arrive in the Carolina on the eve of the American Revolution!

This is a compelling tale, carefully researched and beautifully told. In an outstanding historical novel the author describes the hardships and dangers of the voyage, the privations and political intrigue of colonial life, the courage and loyalty of a remarkable woman.

REVIEWS:

House of Lochar was delighted to publish this outstanding work - here is what our own editor had to report when we were offered the manuscript:

"This is a well researched and lively account of the experiences of Flora and Allan MacDonald in North Carolina. It opens in an accurate and sympathetic account of their life at Kingsburgh House and of the economic and social pressures that led them to embark upon a new life overseas.

The realities of their flitting and of their departure from Campbeltown aboard the "Ulysses" in August 1774 reflect the true experiences of hundreds of their contemporaries; by this stage it has become clear that this is a sensitive and valuable historical novel, and is not an idle tear-jerker. The author has put flesh and clothes upon the bones of the narrative, adding considerably to the pleasure and interest of her readers, but has not indulged in capricious flights of fancy.

Thus the voyage to Cape Fear is accurately described and is a compelling approach to the detailed account of the sights and sounds that awaited the apprehensive passengers. There was, of course, a well-established Scottish community in North Carolina and it would be up to the new arrivals to integrate themselves as best they could. On the eve of the American War of Independence, this was to be no easy task and Oonagh Morrison's exposition of the complexities is most valuable. Many people will have wondered why so many Scots adopted the Royalist cause, particularly in the light of their own experiences. The author describes the situation in convincing terms and follows the family through all the tribulations that they were to experience.

This is an authentic portrayal of the facts surrounding the emigration and subsequent careers of Flora and Allan MacDonald, one which bears the hallmark of patient research and genuine understanding. It is also a most interesting account of the circumstances which were experienced by a much wider community, including the established Argyll Colony and the later, post-Culloden arrivals.

All in all, this is an excellent and enjoyable book; the narrative is built around convincing characters and is well-paced and exciting. A highly accomplished account of an important and neglected stage in the life of Scotland's beloved Flora MacDonald."

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