The First Blast of the Trumpet (Knox Trilogy) - Softcover

Macpherson, Marie

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1908483229 ISBN 13: 9781908483225

Publisher: Knox Robinson Pub, 2013

Synopsis

Hailes Castle, 1511. Midnight on a doom-laden Halloween and Elisabeth Hepburn, feisty daughter of the Earl of Bothwell, makes a wish—to wed her lover, the poet David Lindsay. But her uncle has other plans. To safeguard the interests of the Hepburn family, she is to become a nun and succeed her aunt as Prioress of St. Mary’s Abbey, Haddington. However, plunged into the political maelstrom and religious turmoil of the early Scottish Reformation, her life there is hardly one of quiet contemplation. Strong-willed and independent, she clashes with those who question her unorthodox regime at St. Mary’s, including Cardinal David Beaton and her rival, Sister Maryoth Hay. But her greatest struggle is against her godson, John Knox. Witnessing his rejection of the Roman Catholic Church—aided by David Lindsay—she despairs that the sins of her past may have contributed to his present disenchantment. The First Blast of the Trumpet is book one of The Knox Trilogy.

About this title

About the Author:

Marie Macpherson developed a love for literature and languages from an early age. Brought up on the site of the Battle of Pinkie and within sight of Fa’side Castle, she was haunted by tales and legends from the past. The ballads of the Scottish borders stirred the romantic in her soul and the works of Sir Walter Scott kept her enthralled during the long, dark winter evenings (and more often nights, reading with a torch beneath the bedclothes). She studied French, German, Spanish, Italian, and earned an honors degree in Russian and English. She spent a year in Moscow and Leningrad (St. Petersburg) researching her PhD on the work of the nineteenth-century Russian writer, Mikhail Lermontov, said to be descended from Thomas the Rhymer of the ancient Scottish family of Learmont. Though she has traveled widely, teaching languages and literature across Europe from Madrid to Moscow, she has never lost her passion for the rich history and culture of her native Scotland.

Review:

"In this novel, set in one of the most turbulent periods of Scottish (and English) history, much historical, ethnological and linguistic research is in evidence, which - importantly - Marie Macpherson delivers with a commendable lightness of touch. Descriptions of contemporary superstitions, medicinal cures, and religious practices are impressively handled and closely linked to an engrossing plot and finely drawn, convincing characterisation. The over-riding theme of the novel is Keep Tryst and all the central characters are confronted with the issue of fidelity of some kind, with its breaching or betrayal resulting in an acute sense of loss and/or guilt. The novel well documents the corruption among church officialdom and the blatant misogyny of many of those in positions of power, yet the author handles these issues sensitively. I enjoyed this book enormously and would be more than happy to read it a second time. I'm sure such an accomplished debut novel will enjoy considerable success." --Charles Jones FRSE,Emeritus Forbes Professor of English Language, University of Edinburgh

"With style and verve Marie Macpherson whirls us into the world of sixteenth-century Scotland: its sights and smells, sexual attraction, childbirth and death, and of course the ever looming threat of religious strife. Few are the known facts of John Knox's first thirty and more years, but this vivid creation of a fictional life for him not only entertains but raises many questions in the reader's mind about the character and motives of a dominating figure in Scottish history." --Dr Rosalind Marshall, Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, research associate of the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography and author of biographies of Mary, Queen of Scots, Mary of Guise, John Knox, Elizabeth I and Bonnie Prince Charlie

About this edition

• Publisher: Knox Robinson Pub
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 1908483229
• ISBN 13: 9781908483225
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 349