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year is 1817, and in the Scottish Highland peninsular of Glenelg
there live three very different families. James Cameron he
chieftain is not the man his father was. Out of touch with
the locals and spending too freely, he will soon find that
only his father-in-law’s offer of a job in Canada will
save him. Hugh MacCrimmon the tacksman is disgusted by his
chieftain’s attitude to the poverty of the local people
and gives one last gesture of defiance before departing for
America. Impoverished Angus Ross is one more victim of the
enclosures and loses everything to Cameron sheep, before he
is transported to Australia. Throughout the years these three
families are destined to carve out very different careers,
but always to cross each other’s paths.
This is a fine epic yarn as the families and future generations
of these three men suffer tragedies and enjoy triumphs. The
terrible conditions suffered by transported convicts, the
Civil War and two world wars, Trail of Tears and the wilds
of Upper Canada are all brought to vibrant life. Perhaps to
its slight detriment the outcome of almost everything that
happens can usually be guessed early on and at times I found
myself hoping for something truly surprising. Reading this
book was rather like watching several good old films; enjoyable,
a little clichéd, but still well worth the effort.
After the beginning the action centres around one family at
one particular time in history and their part in it, a style
that sounds as if it might be bitty but Thompson has a talent
for conveying a lot in a few words. Entertaining, lively,
and the sort of book that will take a long time to date.
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