On a Highland Shore - by Kathleen Givens (Paperback)

About the Book

This lushly detailed and panoramic historical novel set in Scotland during the pivotal year 1263--when the Norsemen were finally banished--is the story of a courageous young woman of Clan MacDonald who, with the help of an Irish warrior, rebuilds her life after a Norse invasion.

Book Synopsis

From acclaimed historical novelist Kathleen Givens comes a magnificently conceived, intricately detailed novel that brings to vivid life the tumult, adventure, and passion of thirteenth-century Scotland, when Norse invaders laid claim to the land and its people -- and an explosive clash of cultures, politics, and personal pride changed the world forever.

1263: On Scotland's western shore, the village of Somerstrath prepares for the joyous wedding celebration of Margaret MacDonald, the laird's daughter. But a dark storm of bloodshed and betrayal is closing in, as a merciless band of Vikings threatens the Highlands. Margaret is determined to hold the MacDonald clan together and to locate her abducted younger brother. But can she trust the noblemen from King Alexander's court, who insist that only by adhering to a betrothal conceived for political gain will she find safety? Or should she put her trust in an imposing half-Irish, half-Norse warrior? Gannon MacMagnus alone offers her hope of reuniting her family and vanquishing the barbarous Norsemen who would continue to rob her people of their God-given right to determine their own destinies. In whom should Margaret entrust the fate of the rugged, magnificent land she calls home?

Review Quotes

"Breathtaking and absorbing...An adventure, a romance, a historical of epic proportions."

-- Marsha Canham, award-winning author of The Pride of Lions

"Memorable and transporting."

-- Joan Johnston, New York Times bestselling author

"The Scottish Highlands have rarely been more inviting...."

-- Dallas Morning News

"With unparalleled skill and an exquisite sense of time and place, RITA Award winner Givens (The Destiny) spins a violent, realistic tale of love, loyalty, and betrayal, breathing life into characters both real and fictional and vividly portraying the turbulence and intricate political machinations of 13th-century Scotland." -- Library Journal