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Catching the Stone by David L. Andrews Black Rose Writing
book review by Carolyn Davis
"A Highlander's word was his bond and his family and his clan were his life."
This novel, set in eighteenth century Scotland, tracks the lives of several Highland villagers (who are described in the beginning "characters" section). Their personalities, work, and relationships unfold, as does the history of their and their ancestors’ battles to be independent of the English Parliament.
The prologue outlines the early modern history of Scotland's turbulent relationship with England, beginning in 1603 with the ascension of Elizabeth I's cousin, James VI of Scotland. There is a brief description of the development of rifles and its impact on warfare, and a short summary of the attempt of the Scottish leader Charles Stewart, known as "Bonnie Prince Charlie," to sacrifice his followers' lives in an attempt to gain the English throne.
The author describes the lives and personalities of the characters to demonstrate how and why they assume the roles in the climactic battle and its aftermath. The motivations and character traits of the heroes and villains are frequently ambiguous, as might be expected, and the author uses personality profiles to flesh out the villagers.
This is an overall good execution of a rich story. The formatting of the paragraphs makes the reading somewhat difficult, and occasionally the writing tenses unnecessarily switch from the present to the past and back. This is an ambitious book that may be enjoyed by aficionados of the Highlanders’ and the Jacobites’ (the supporters of the line of King James) history.