Classics Corner: Mary Queen of Scotland and The Isles by Margaret George;Grand and Definitive Historical Fiction of Scotland's Most Famous Queen

Classics Corner: Mary Queen of Scotland and The Isles by Margaret George; Grand and Definitive Historical Fiction of Scotland's Most Famous Queen

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews




PopSugar Reading Challenge: A book with a map



Spoilers: John Lennon was right. Life is what happens when you are busy making plans to finish reviewing the final book in a series for your blog but the Coronavirus pandemic causes the library to close, so instead of reviewing that book, you instead review another book about the same subject. (At least I think that's what he said or something like it. Anyway, it was pretty close.)


I was supposed to wrap up my Philippa Gregory series with the final Plantegenet and Tudor Court Series, The Other Queen about Mary Queen of Scots. But since I don't have a copy and the library is closed for now (though is supposed to reopen soon), that review will have to wait. Instead I decided to review another book about Mary Queen of Scots, Margaret George's Mary Queen of Scotland and The Isles.


Actually, right now I am reviewing the better of the two. While Gregory did a brilliant job capturing the Cousin's War, the six wives of King Henry VIII, Queen Mary I, and Queen Elizabeth, Mary Queen of Scots belongs to Margaret George. Gregory's version was short and anemic which only covered a small fraction of this famous Queen's history, but George covers the whole scope of this fascinating woman's vibrant passionate colorful life.


From the moment she was born and her father James V died, Mary Queen of Scots (1542-1587) is held under scrutiny and criticism. Her dying father expresses displeasure that she isn't a son to replace the legitimate sons that died. She is separated from her mother, Marie de Guise, to be raised in France while her mother acts as regent. Her French relatives judge her for being Scottish. Her Scottish subjects are suspicious of her gender, French upbringing, and Catholic religion. Her illegitimate half-siblings, particularly her brother James are jealous of her becoming the heir. Calvinist religious leader, John Knox considers Mary, the Whore of Babylon because of her religion and her status as a female assuming the Scottish throne. Her cousin, Elizabeth feels threatened by her status as the second heir to the throne. It's already not an easy life and it gets harder.


Mary's childhood establishes much of the character that she carries throughout the book. She has a fondness for pretty things because of her upbringing in France surrounded by beautiful clothes, delicate dishes, and poetry some of which is dedicated to her. She also shows a strong will. When she first encounters the formidable, Catherine de Medici, acting Queen of France she is able to stare her down and stand up to her. Her independent streak also carries over into her wedding to Francois II, future King of France, when she insists on wearing white, even though it's the French color of mourning. She later rues that decision after Francois dies and she finds herself wearing white again, this time at her husband's funeral.


The book also is rich in capturing the people around her. Both Marie de Guise and Catherine de Medici are both strong willed leaders, inspiring Mary with their leadership skills and ability to survive in a man's world. James Stewart, Mary's half brother hovers between being close to Mary because she is his sister and being competitive and resenting everything she stands for.

Mary's four ladies in waiting, who are also named Mary, form a loyal sisterhood to their beloved queen and are individuals in their own right-Mary "Flamina" Fleming is the boldest and most outspoken, Mary "Lusty" Livingston is the robust tomboy, Mary Beaton is the quiet daydreamer, and Mary Seton is the most serious and spiritual.


Francois is also well written as an embodiment of youthful innocence. They marry when he is 10 and Mary 14, so unsure of what to do, they spend their wedding night...falling asleep. Instead of a husband, Francois is more like a kid brother with whom Mary plays games, tells stories, and create elaborate ideas for their future kingdom. Francois is an eternal child who would have a hard time reaching adulthood, which unfortunately he does not. Mary is barely crowned Queen of France upon her father in law's death before she loses her husband less than a year later.


When Mary returns to Scotland after her mother's death, she gets a frosty welcome, literally. The weather is cold and misty so that she can't see anything. If ever there was a sign that her reign would not be a peaceful one, that would be it. The peasant and working class love her, considering her a return to civility. However, the Kirk, the noblemen who act as her council, are mistrustful of her, suspicious of her Catholic religion, dislike her de Guise relatives, and mock her French ways. Even though France and Scotland are allies as part of the Auld Alliance, against England, that's far from saying the Scots actually like the French especially after they convert to Protestantism. Many of the Kirk favor Knox's conservative dour approach and fear the queen simply because he tells them to.


Her antagonists include her brother, James, who more and more sees better advantages siding with Knox and his crew over her, The Hamiltons, a family that often looks out for their own interests, and Lord Ruthven, who is rumored to be a warlock and is certainly creepy enough if he isn't. Queen Elizabeth also has her reasons to fear her second cousin. Since Mary is the closest heir to the throne and a staunch Catholic, the Protestant Elizabeth is fearful that her Catholic subjects would favor Mary over her.

Standing at the center of her antagonists is Knox who puts fear into his followers' hearts that Mary will start another Inquisition. In actuality, she will do nothing of the kind. She respects her subjects' Protestant religion. She only asks that they respect hers. She is very passionate and fair minded, but is willing to compromise to make other's happy. But for some unyielding stubborn individuals, that's not enough.


Partly because of her lonely widowhood and the general dislike of her, Mary throws herself into a second marriage to Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley a relation of hers and Elizabeth's. At first, it seems pleasant enough. Darnley is handsome and charismatic, but he very quickly reveals his true nature. He is a big drinker and a philanderer. He is also intensely jealous of Mary's power and demands that she make him King. George doesn't sugarcoat Darnley's chatacter. He is a spiteful abusive weak willed bully who goes along with whatever scheme benefits him the most. The Reader is rooting for his comeuppance long before he receives it.


Mary has several loyal friends to her defense. Besides the Marys, another is David Riccio, her secretary who also acts as confidant, psychologist, public defender, stand up comedian, minstrel, and best friend. He is a very witty character who isn't afraid to tell Mary the truth whether she wants to hear it or not. He also isn't afraid to call out Darnley or his allies, which he does one too many times. In one of the most heart wrenching moments in the book, Darnley leads a group to come in and stab Riccio to death right in front of Mary.


Another loyal supporter is the man who becomes her third husband, James Hepburn, The Earl of Bothwell. Bothwell is everything that Darnley isn't brave, decisive, strong willed, even if he is a bit of a womanizer to begin with. To her credit, George does not make his and Mary's marriage an abrupt thing. They meet in France when he is part of the party that escorts Mary to Scotland. He then appears periodically in Mary's life, sometimes as an outspoken critic but mostly as a staunch ally and a good friend even before they become romantically involved. One of the best moments is when Mary apologizes that she couldn't make Bothwell king and he tells her that is fine. He is satisfied with his lands of Shetland and the Orkney Islands. Mary muses that Bothwell, a man who is better suited for the role of king doesn't want the title, while Darnley whines about wanting the title but exhibits behavior that could not be considered kingly or leader-like.


There are three mysteries that surround Mary's life and George gives interesting theories to answer them. The first is who killed Lord Darnley. What is known is that Darnley died in an explosion and was involved in the death of David Riccio. Most believe that the most likely suspects were either Mary herself or Bothwell. George's version stops short of actually accusing Mary of her second husband's murder, she certainly doesn't miss him.


The second mystery concerns her marriage to Bothwell. Publicly, Bothwell abducted Mary and she married him while in captivity. However, what muddies the waters of this claim is that there were love letters exchanged between Mary and Bothwell dated before Darnley's death and were found in a silver casket in Bothwell's home. The so-called "Casket Letters" were considered evidence that Mary was complicit in her second husband's death and became evidence for her forced abdication in favor of her son James VI (Later James I of England)

Again George gives her own interpretation to these events that the love between Mary and Bothwell was genuine and the abduction was staged so the blame would fall entirely on him and not her for running off with him. Mary and Bothwell's romance is one that is loving but made from bad timing (She chose not to make Bothwell her second husband because he was already married to a woman whom he would later divorce) and short lived. They end up separated when she escapes to England and he sails to Sweden where he is imprisoned and later dies. Their marriage was short, but it was one of love and loyalty in this book.


The final third of the book where Mary seeks refuge in England is probably the most boring part but it leads to the third mystery in her life. How involved was Mary in plots to bring down Queen Elizabeth. While she is under house arrest and moved about, she makes friends with many noblemen like George Talbot, the Earl of Shrewsbury. Many of these allies want to see a Catholic ascend the throne and promise to aid in Mary's escape. Mary knows that she is playing a dangerous game with these men but she writes letters in code requesting their aid and support. Just as she does with Mary's involvement with Darnley's death, George doesn't outright accuse her, but Mary knew that her release could only come from Elizabeth's death so she turns a blind eye to the consequences and what the end result would be.

Even though Mary is the main character, George also makes Elizabeth believable as well. She is somewhat jealous of Mary's appearance. During his first meeting with the Scottish Queen, Elizabeth pesters her ambassadors with comparisons about her height and her appearance asking if she's more attractive. When Mary gives birth to James, Elizabeth complains that she "is of barren stock." She also gets upset when Mary's family uses the English crest on their china (something Mary doesn't agree with either).

However despite her pettiness, Elizabeth relates to Mary as another female ruler in a man's world. Even though, they never meet face to face they write often calling each other "Sister," and giving tokens of friendship. When Mary finally is arrested for conspiring against Elizabeth, the English queen suffers remorse about having to put her cousin to death and wavers for a long time before she finally signs her death warrant.

Margaret George captured Mary Queen of Scots and made her passionate, headstrong, emotional, reckless, strong willed, and a very vibrant,, colorful, unforgettable woman. Some Royal characters like Elizabeth Woodville, Anne Boleyn, Anne of Cleve's, and Queen Elizabeth belonged to Philippa Gregory. But in this case, Mary Queen of Scots belongs to Margaret George.

Weekly Reader: Song for a Lost Kingdom Book 1 by Steve Moretti; A Beautiful Fantasy About Time Travel, Scottish History, and Music

Weekly Reader Song For A Lost Kingdom Book 1 by Steve Moretti; A Beautiful Fantasy About Time Travel, Scottish History, and The Power of Music

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

PopSugar Reading Challenge: A book that you were interested in because the title grabbed your attention

Spoilers: Music can do powerful things, including transporting you back to a memory by recalling other moments, earlier times, and fill your imagination with nostalgia, all figuratively of course. But what if music had the power to transport you to another time, literally?

That is the situation faced by Adeena Stuart, the protagonist of A Song for a Lost Kingdom, a beautiful fantasy about time travel and the power of music.

Adeena is an amateur cellist who longs to play for a major orchestra.  In the meantime, she works at the museum managed by her best friend, Tara. The latest museum exhibit features the Duncan Cello, a cello created in the 18th century by a former student of Antonio Stradivarius. Adeena has been rejected by the conductor and plans to reaudition and "borrow" the famous cello. 

While auditioning something strange happens. Adeena finds herself in 18th century Scotland in period costume, playing in front of an audience dressed in Highland garb and calling her "Lady Katherine." She is transported back in time into the body of Lady Katherine Carnegie, a noblewoman, musician, and female composer caught up in the Jacobite rebellion. She becomes involved in political intrigue and romance in the past while returning to a failed romantic relationship and potential legal troubles involving ownership of the cello and a plagiarizing conductor. Meanwhile, Adeena's parents travel to Scotland to visit her dying grandmother and learn that the Stuarts'  connections to the Duncan Cello and Lady Katherine are much closer than they previously thought.

It's easy to compare Song for a Lost Kingdom to Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series in that both involve time travel and romance between a modern woman and an 18th Century Scotsman. However, there are a few key moments that differ between them. One of the biggest is that Adeena goes back and forth in time between historical Scotland and modern Canada. This situation leads to some humorous moments when Adeena changes things in the past just by her mere presence. During one passage, Adeena's parents, William and Jackie, read the diary of Katherine's tyrannical brother, James. They read bemused as James wrote that during an argument, Adeena-in-Katherine referred to him as "King Konge, a line of royalty (he) is unaware of but is believed to be an insult to (his) person."

 The constant time hopping takes a tremendous toll on Adeena both physically and emotionally. Her returns often bring about fainting spells that require hospitalization. An X-ray reveals potential long term medical complications should Adeena continue to travel back and forth.

She also is confused by her double life, particularly when she develops feelings for John, a nobleman with ties to the Scottish rebels. This forbidden romance puts Adeena or rather Adeena-in-Katherine at odds with Katherine's stern brother who will do anything to stifle rebellion even if it means attacking his own family. This romance also complicates Adeena's modern relationship with Philippe with whom she already is uncertain about her feelings. 

Perhaps Adeena's off kilter emotions during her time travel could be a factor in some of her decisions. However, there are other factors that make her decisions unwise at best and reckless and dangerous at worst. She steals the Duncan Cello and recruits a friend to make a dummy copy for the Exhibit, jeopardizing Tara's career. She is blackmailed by Friedrich Lang, a conductor who is not only aware that she has the Cello but shamefully steals an unpublished composition written by Katherine. Adeena is naturally angered by Lang's blatant blackmail and plagiarism, but fails to account for the fact that she brought it on by performing with the Cello, practically boasting about it in front of Lang.

Sometimes, Adeena's actions make her incredibly irritating, but she also has a lot of spunk. She stands up for herself in front of James and others and is able to call Lang out on his deceit. She isn't always likeable, but she learns and is able to use that recklessness to defend herself and those around her.

The historical setting is well-written. People who are fascinated by Scottish history will delight in the cameos by such notable figures as Bonnie Prince Charlie. Thanks to Adeena-in-Katherine, we also get a birds-eye-view of the status of women in such a society. It's disheartening to read about a woman of such musical talent like Katherine go unnoticed for centuries until a modern woman like Adeena brings her to life.

There is a strong connection to music as the book features characters whose lives revolve around music. Music has the power to do many things: incite revolution, cause people to fall in love, and in this world causes people to travel in time.

Song For A Lost Kingdom is a strong fantasy with a real sense of time and place. It plays all the right notes and composes a beautiful symphony.

New Book Alert: Confessions of a Bookseller by Shaun Bythell; Charming and Funny Look At the Life of a Scottish Bookseller

New Book Alert: Confessions of a Bookseller by Shaun Bythell; Charming and Funny Look At the Life of a Scottish Bookseller

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews




Shaun Bythell's Confessions of a Bookseller is not long on plot. In fact there is hardly any plot in the book. Instead this sequel to Bythell's previous book, Diary of a Bookseller has plenty of charm, humor, witticisms, and eccentric characters that would be unbelievable in fiction were they not real people.

Bythell owns and operates The Book Shop, Wigtown the largest second hand bookshop in Scotland. This book covers 2015, a year in which he dealt with quirky colleagues, eccentric customers, and the difficulties of running a book store.

Bythell was surrounded by a colorful group of colleagues that could have come out of fiction themselves. There is Granny, an Italian woman, who earned the nickname because she talked about aches and pains and talked about death. Another one is Petra who rented the upstairs apartment to host belly dancing classes. (“Shake, Read, and Roll” would make a good slogan.)

One of the stand outs in this kooky cast is Nicky, Bythell's main employee. She arrived fashionably late, wore black clothes, and brought food on Foodie Fridays (usually stuff that Bythell didn't like.). Often she and Bythell bickered about how the store was run. Nicky gave her two weeks notice once, but the two relied on each other for help and friendship.

Nicky is like most friends and co-workers. You fight, sometimes you want to see the back of each other. But you also rely on each other for loyalty, laughs, strength, and friendship.

As humorous as Bythell's colleagues are, his exchanges with customers are equally as memorable.
One of the struggles Bythell had were donations that meant more to the customers than to Bythell. Many entries feature Bythell driving several hours out of his way to investigate boxes of books only to return with less than a handful because the books were either damaged beyond repair, written by authors that are widely distributed like Dan Brown or Stephanie Meyer, or of only personal interest to the donor. (Family Bibles are out for that reason.)

Another issue the introverted Bythell often had to deal with were talkative customers, who began discussing reading habits then talk about family struggles and personal habits. “NEVER ask for an anecdote when you work in a bookshop,” warned Bythell.

One hilarious roundabout conversation occurred between Bythell and a customer who had to learn the difference between a bookshop and a library.
“Will to live rapidly diminishing,” Bythell inwardly moaned as he said for what seemed like the hundredth time that no she didn't have to return the books once she bought them.

Bythell also had to contend with weird questions asked by customers about what books he had. One asked for a childhood book that she didn't know the name but featured a koala stealing berries. Anyone who works in a book store or library will understand the vague requests. (“I don't remember the name of the book but it has a red cover.”)

Bythell also had to contend with his share of unusual requests both in person and online. One online request asked for Mein Kampf along with other pro-Nazi materials. Bythell didn't know why and didn't want to know.

There were also customers that asked for specific books about certain subjects every day from Scottish genealogy to trains. One of those types of customers was Bythell's father, an avid fisherman who always asked for books about anglers and fish.

Along with colleagues and customers, Bythell also wrote about the advertising that he did to draw in customers, particularly online where he received interest from as far away as Asia, the Americas, and the other European countries. For Christmas, he and Nicky posted two different videos and had the visitors vote on their favorite.

He also wrote about the various quotes that he and other co-workers displayed on Facebook that deal with books and reading. One of those reads “You passed by a Book Shop. Is something wrong with you?”

As much as the Internet was a boon to Bythell's business, it could also be a curse. Bythell became so irritated with customers realizing that they had books on their Kindle that he and a colleague designed and sold “Death to Kindle” mugs at the Book Shop.
In his previous book, Bythell displayed a broken Kindle on the wall of the Book Shop. The display went viral earning Bythell some extra online celebrity.

By far the most eventful time for the Book Shop is the Wigtown Book Festival which takes place during the final week in September. Bythell wrote about the planning, preparation, and organizing an event from a village of less than 100 citizens welcoming people from all over the world. Besides offering discounts, Bythell participated in various events like the Literary Quiz, the optimistically titled Wigtown's Got Talent, and the Fun Run (which he admits is an oxymoron).

While the plot of Confessions of a Bookseller is slight, there is one plot thread that dangles throughout the book. That is Bythell's relationship with his partner, Anna. Anna created different things associated with the Book Shop, like the Writer's House, which offered courses in reading, writing, and art and the Open Book, in which renters can temporarily operate and organize their own bookshop, like an Airbnb. Granny started working there.
As good as Anna was for business, and as good as she and Bythell were personally, they had differences that could not be met. In his mid-forties, Bythell wanted to start a family, Anna was much younger and did not. They broke up and Anna returned to the United States.

Some of the most moving chapters are when Bythell encountered old friends and explained why he was alone, feeling a lump in his throat. During Christmas, he sent her a cordial happy holidays email and wished he could see her in person.

Despite the quirky colleagues, odd customers, and demands on his personal time, Bythell is clearly a man who loves books and loves sharing them with others. This is shown in the first entry when he writes, “The pleasure of handling books that have introduced something of cultural or scientific significance to the world is undeniably the greatest luxury that this business affords and few -if any-
walks of life provide such a wealth of opportunity to indulge in this. This is why, every morning getting out of bed is not an anticipation of a repetitive drudge but in expectation that I may have the chance to hold in my hands a copy of something that first brought to humanity an idea that changed the course of history….That is what it's all about.”

Any of us who work with books whether selling, lending, publishing, appraising, editing, writing, teaching, or reviewing them understand completely.

Weekly Reader: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon; Top Notch Historical Romance and Fantasy is Undone By It's Inflated Reputation

Weekly Reader: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon; Top Notch Historical Romance and Fantasy is Undone By It's Inflated Reputation

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews




Spoilers: This is one of those books that I heard about so much that I had to read it. Several members of various Facebook groups talked it up. The series is quite popular. It even ended up as #2 in PBS The Great American Read countdown only under To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. With a reputation like that, you have to wonder how good is it?


Is Outlander great or is it….not? Well it's complicated.


Author Diana Gabaldon deserves credit for not only making one historical fiction but two in one. The story is a Fantasy Romance about a lovelorn time traveler going into the past and meeting the man of their dreams in the past. (Is there any other kind?) But instead of a woman from modern day, she is from WWII.

Claire Beauchamp-Randall is a nurse in 1946 rekindling her marriage to historian, Frank Randall. The two have been married for seven years but have been apart for six while Frank fought in the War and Claire tended to soldiers. They are on their second honeymoon in Scotland where Frank is researching his family history and hopefully they could do a little more. Instead of getting a relaxing vacation, things get kind of weird.

First Frank reports seeing a ghostly figure in a kilt. Then while attending a ceremonial ritual by the local women, Claire hears the stones in a sacred grove scream. Suddenly, she is transported to 17th century Scotland and she's taken by a group of British soldiers only to be rescued by a group of Highlanders.

Her first assignment is to treat Jamie Fraser, who is injured. While she heals his wound using modern medicine (at least WWII era modern medicine), she and Jamie develop an understanding bond. The bond strengthens though she is held under suspicion as a “Sassenach” or Outlander, an Englishwoman and possibly a spy for the English. The suspicion reaches the ears of the clan head who says that the only way to waylay suspicions towards Claire is for her to marry a Scotsman and what do you know there is a Scotsman available, one whom she just healed and already developed a bond.


The multiple parts to the story work well together. Gabaldon should be commended for having a handle on writing two historical periods and she shows great details on both of them.

Gabaldon certainly did her homework in researching 17th century Scotland. She writes the Jacobite conflicts and clan wars in ways that are more engaging than textbooks. She does a commendable job of capturing the various details such as court hearings where the guilty party could be sentenced to a flogging but can find a champion to take the flogging for them. She gets everything from the clothing (no Scotsman don't wear much under there), to health care (sometimes rely on leeches and potions though Claire offers a few modern touches as newly appointed “physician”) to status of women (marginalized, considered as daughters and wives, though some unmarried women have official positions) right.

While less explored than 17th century Scotland, Gabaldon also captured the post-WWII era really well. She explores what it's like for long separated couples reunite only to discover that they have little in common. She also explores the lives of nurses who had to live through treating soldiers who had traumatic experiences as well as what the nurses learned from them. In one humorous moment, Claire accidentally uses some colorful language that she picked up from soldiers in front of some guests.

The Fantasy aspect flows nicely but is very open ended. The ghostly visitation and the ritual at the beginning of Claire's journey suggests some supernatural reason for her trip as though she were sent back to change something though this is never resolved why at least in the first book. The awareness of Claire's presence in the past comes to focus when she is responsible for the death of someone and is concerned that she could have ended someone's family line prematurely.

There is also an interesting twist when Claire encounters another time traveler. (She recognizes the smallpox vaccination scar.) The other time traveler has already settled into Scottish life by having an active love life and a reputation of being a witch because of her foreknowledge of events (actually historic research.). Once Claire picks up the habit she too is accused of being a witch. While this plot twist resolution is saved for a later book, it is intriguing that this has happened before.

While I am not a big Romance fan, the Romance holds up pretty well mostly because Gabaldon treats the lovers like real people despite the conventional stumbling blocks. Claire is a strong willed opinionated woman for any era and stands out in the 20th and 17th centuries. She is able to carve an identity for herself as a healer and adviser.

While some may criticize her having an extramarital affair, it squeaks by when you consider that she and Frank had been separated for some time and had spent little time together.

Jamie also is a good character. He has the standard man of his era attitude where he behaves brutally and believes that the man is the Lord of his castle, but thankfully those aspects are minimal. It helps that he was injured to begin with. He also shows a very chivalrous nature by taking punishments for a local girl and explains that he is on the run after fighting soldiers when his sister was attacked. He and Claire have great chemistry in their moments together that flow naturally from friendship to romance.

Thankfully, Claire and Jamie are an engaging couple that takes them through the typical clichés of romance. There is the jealous other woman who has sights on the male half and could cause trouble for the duo. There is the dangerous sadistic other man who fancies the female half and in this case the male as well. Then of course there is the classic misunderstanding which puts the two at each other's throats until things are resolved with a "kiss and make up" passage. It is nothing new and we have seen it before.

Outlander is a great book but is it deserving of the #2 spot of favorite books of all time? Over books like Jane Eyre, The Outsiders, and even though I'm not crazy about the series but I recognize it's impact and influence on getting children to read, Harry Potter? While it is good and has plenty of great qualities I will have to say no. Many of the Romance plot points are clichéd and present nothing new. Even the idea of a modern woman going back in time and receiving a lover from the past has been done in books like Jude Devereux's A Knight in Shining Armor and the movie, Kate and Leopold.

Outlander is a popular book and that's not a bad thing. It has every reason to be popular but there is not enough to consider it a classic.

At least not yet anyway.

Forgotten Favorites: September by Rosamunde Pilcher; A Sweet Novel With A Memorable Ensemble of Characters And A Lovely Scottish Setting

Forgotten Favorites: September by Rosamunde Pilcher; A Sweet Novel With A Memorable Ensemble of Characters And A Lovely Scottish Setting


By Julie Sara Porter


Bookworm Reviews





Spoilers: Rosamunde Pilcher's novel, September is one of those sweet novels like the works of Maeve Binchey with a fascinating lovely setting, in this case Scotland in September and a memorable ensemble of characters. Quite often there's a kind wise elderly woman, a pair or two of young lovers, an eccentric older character who might be crazy or just odd, a feuding couple on the brink of divorce or separation, and a figure, usually an elegant lovely woman, who is the source of much rumors and speculation. These characters go through some struggles within their families, friends, and romances. There are some vague attempts at real world issues like divorce, unemployment, war, mental illness, and death but ultimately the characters shine through and the Reader is guaranteed a happy ending in which lovers are united and ties are strengthened.





This description makes it sound like I don't like these type of books. On the contrary, it’s impossible not to like these books, as formulaic as they can be, and September is a sweet book. It is the type of book that is filled with beautiful description and such lovely characters that this Reader considered booking a flight to Scotland just to see if they exist so she could hang around with them.





The book starts with the overbearing, Verena Steyton who wants to give a party in September for her daughter, Katy’s 21st birthday. September is the perfect time of year for such a party. It's after summer when the American tourists have left and when the weather is the most beautiful in Scotland. The book is filled with wonderful descriptions of Relkirkshire (a fictional village) in autumn. The senses are given a full workout picturing morning's light frost giving the countryside’s colors a brighter shade, the golden fields, the rain drizzle, and the scent of full bloomed heather.





While Verena is handing out invitations, booking a rock band for the entertainment, and overseeing the hors d’oeuvres, the Readers meet the other characters, each with their own issues that hopefully will be resolved by the big day. There's Edmund Aird, a businessman who wants his 8-year-old son, Henry to begin boarding school against the wishes of his second much younger wife, Virginia. Virginia despairs of letting her little boy go and feels a combination of separation anxiety and empty nest syndrome. Alexa, Edmund's adult daughter, a freelance chef lives happily with her boyfriend, advertising executive, Noel Keeling (who incidentally is the son of the protagonist of Pilcher's previous novel, The Shell Seekers). But Alexa is concerned about how her family feels about her common law relationship and Noel is debating whether or not to take their relationship to the next level. Edmund's mother, Violet Aird is a kind matronly woman whom everyone goes to with their problems but is beginning to feel the twilight of her years and is concerned about her friend, Edie whose mentally ill cousin, Lottie is staying with her and causing trouble.





Besides the Steyton and the Airds, the other important family is the Blairs, the family of Lord Archibald Balmerino, titled landowners. Archibald feels useless with a prosthetic leg shot off during a conflict in Northern Ireland. Nowadays, he putters around in his workshop carving wooden statues while his wife, Isobel runs a lucrative tourist business catering mostly to rich Americans. Their daughter, Luciella seems to have rejected a life of riches and titles to go backpacking on the Continent with her Australian boyfriend, Jeff. Then there's Pandora, Archibald's sister who moved from Relkirkshire nearly 20 years ago and left a trail of former husbands and lovers behind everywhere she went, one of whom was Edmund Aird.





The beauty of Pilcher's novel is not just in the setting. The characters are just so darned likeable that everyone is given a moment to show that they are more than they seem. Verena is nosy and overbearing but clearly loves her daughter, Katy and only wants what's best for her. Edmund can be a boorish stiff so bound in tradition that he is willing to pack off an 8-year-old kid to boarding school despite objections from everyone else. He sees the error of his ways when Henry returns after running away from school to tell his parents that he is unhappy there. So unhappy that even the headmaster thinks Henry's too young to be in boarding school.


Virginia feels that her marriage is loveless so she begins an affair with Conrad Tucker, a former American boyfriend and considers leaving with him. In the end, she decides not to when she realizes how much Edmund loves and needs her.


Archibald is filled with PTSD about his military experiences and conflicted about his current role as a wounded Lord. However he bonds with Conrad as the two share experiences in wars, they felt were unjust and unnecessary: Archibald’s in North Ireland and Conrad’s in Vietnam. Archibald also shows great creative talent as he carves a sculpture of Katy Steyton for her birthday giving him an opportunity for a future possibility of earning money.


Even characters who fill the others with fear and loathing like Lottie have memorable moments. While Lottie flies off into unpredictable rants, she also reveals the truth in the most inopportune times. For example she reveals to Virginia that Edmund and Pandora were once lovers and the reason Edmund flew off on a sudden business trip was to avoid meeting her.





The most fascinating character in the bunch is the beguiling Pandora Blair. After leaving Relkirkshire, she never returned even to attend her parent's funerals. The free-spirited enthusiastic woman traveled through Europe, North America, South America, and everywhere else ultimately settling in Majorca, Spain where she meets Luciella and Jeff. Verena Steyton’s invitation sends her home for the first time in a long time.


Pandora is a whirlwind who catches everyone else up in her elaborate plots such as taking Isobel, Alexa, Virginia, and Luciella on expensive shopping sprees for clothes for Katy's birthday party in which she pays for everything. She also encourages Archibald to wear their father’s formal clothes even though he long rejected them and to sell his carved wooden sculptures.


Like a pixy, Pandora spreads advice to the people around to make them happy. She suggests that Noel marry Alexa, a woman that he loves, to avoid a lifetime of regret and loneliness like she had.


Pandora is a strange figure that fills the characters and the Reader with curiosity about her and her motives. Why did she come back after all this time? Does she want to resume an affair with Edmund? Why is she excitable one minute and sleepy the next? Is she bipolar or is there something else wrong with her? The final pages reveal that Pandora was a complex woman with plenty of regrets but a zest for life that was undeniable.





September is a delightful book. While there are some sad moments, it is the enchanting setting and the brilliant characters, particularly Pandora, that the Reader will hold onto after the book is closed.