The Sight of Heather
By Ally Stirling
For centuries, the fae folk and spae women of Scotland were feared – and persecuted.
Life in the 1800s countryside, with its unforgiving climate, was both magnificent and harsh – testing cultures, beliefs and the loyalties of crofters.
The first in this series, The Sight of Heather, begins a journey of allegiance, sacrifice, and fortitude in a land of bold, resilient women.
Jessie’s ideal life spirals when she learns she is a first daughter in a biological line of ‘spaes’ endowed with unique gifts of spiritual sight and healing, aided by powerful ancestral stones.
Backed by a vindictive priest intent on charging Jessie with murder and witchcraft, the new owner of the Cruachan Manor plots to rout the spaes and destroy their beloved forest.
Despite grave warnings and family conflict, Jessie determinedly pursues her skills and powers, plunging her family and village into danger.
Resolute in uplifting her fellow women, Jessie consults her stones.
Faced with those who deem her evil, she must choose to relinquish her craft, or sacrifice herself to protect her culture and kin – and Lily, the next first daughter – the future of the spaes.
Genres: Historical Women’s Fiction / Scottish Folklore
Jessie has always been full of life, headstrong, and keen, and she is no different when it comes to her marriage to Tom. She is ready to get married and start her own family and knows exactly what she wants from her life. However, when she loses her first child before the baby is even born, Jessie is distraught, and the spark that kept her going seems to begin to fade. Her mother, Heather, decides it is time to introduce her to the world of the spaes, and the responsibility that comes from being the first daughter in their family.
With the knowledge of the spaes comes the truth behind her mother’s healing, and that of her mother’s friends, Myna and Maggie. Myna and Maggie have been like aunts to Jessie her whole life, and when it comes to teaching her about their gifts, and the powerful ancestral stones, they are just as much Jessie’s teachers as Heather is. But there is a new owner of Cruachan Manor, and he is not happy with the way the village is run. Together with Father Coyle, they plot to root out the spaes, and drive them from the village forever.
I absolutely adored this book! Family conflict, magic, fighting for justice against all odds – there is nothing this book does not have. I loved Jessie as a main character, she is so determined to make things work the way she wants them to, and is an incredibly strong individual. She is kind and caring, the kind of person you want to be friends with, although she does not listen to advice very well, and by ignoring what others say, she does get herself into a lot of trouble.
The mass hunt for witches seems to be over during this book, although that doesn’t mean no one believes in witches anymore. A woman healer helping women is a threat. Why take potions from a ‘healer’ when you could take tried and tested medicine from a doctor? The problem, of course, was that the doctor was not a woman, and would never understand like Heather, Maggie, Myna, and Jessie do. However, while the women of the village owed a lot to them, when accusations started, no one stepped up to defend them. To defend a ‘witch’ was to label yourself one as well, and everyone would rather turn a blind eye rather than draw attention to themselves.
I particularly loved the mother-daughter relationships within this novel. The obvious ones are Heather and Jessie, and then with the addition of Jessie’s daughter, Lily. The patience in passing down vital knowledge, educating another so that they know more than you do, is remarkable, and the love that they all so clearly have for each other is beautiful. There is also the additional bonds, such as Myna with her daughters, and then Myna and Maggie with Jessie. They both clearly love Jessie to bits, although that doesn’t stop them telling her off and pointing out all the mistakes she is making to her. The spaes are like a family in themselves, and the care they have for each other is, no pun intended, magical.
I was torn on whether or not to like Jessie’s brother, Angus. He works for the manor, finding himself stuck between his family and the likes of Father Coyle and Wilson, the owner of the manor. Coyle and Wilson will stop at nothing to get rid of the spaes, and they know Angus is Jessie’s brother, and has close connections to them, and so they try to use him to get to them. At times, I wasn’t sure if Angus would turn against his family, or if he would step up and protect them, so I didn’t know whether or not I truly liked him. The idea of wealth entrapped him, and he found himself stuck in a position he never wanted to be in. In the end, I think I decided I did like him, for although he acts pompous, he does truly care about his family, and wants them to be safe.
This is a book I truly enjoyed reading, and read it at any chance I got. There is plenty of excitement and action to keep you entranced, and you can’t help but want to read just one more chapter every time!
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