The Sight of Heather : A journey of loyalty, sacrifice and fortitude in the face of persecution.

by Ally Stirling

A captivating and suspenseful generational saga, The Sight of Heather is an enthralling debut with unforgettable characters who will steal your heart. This 5-book journey set in Scotland 1800s follows the trials and subversive means by which a line of first daughters gifted as spaes strive to protect their customs and protect their lineage. Book 1 in this series begins a journey of allegiance, sacrifice, and fortitude in a land of bold, resilient women.

"The Sight of Heather" sets the prelude to a captivating lineage of first daughters, and Author Ally Stirling wholeheartedly invites you to come along on this remarkable literary journey, where we can all experience the magic and wonder together!

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.

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.

Paperback

First published September 15, 2023

About the author

Ally Stirling is a Fiction writer of Scottish origin, currently living in Cape Town with her braveheart husband, awesome children, the happiest dog in the world, and her menacing cat (aka 'Devil Cat')

An unexpected gift, resulting in a prophetic message, prompted Ally to give her passion for writing the time it demanded, and in 2018 she joined Cathy Eden's 'Working With Words' writers group. She credits the love, support, and inspiration of this group of talented women - her 'writing tribe' for encouraging her to put words on paper. She also joined the Romance Writer's Organization of South Africa (ROSA), and while Romance is not her genre, this association has been an invaluable source of knowledge and insight into the indie publishing world.

Allowing her imagination freedom to roam resulted in various short stories, before one in particular rooted itself, evolving into her first full-length novel. This book has now become first in a series, with the second and third ready to follow, four and five in the planning stage. Who knew her characters would be so demanding?
Her love of writing fiction stems from her belief that it transports us to magical places when life gets too real.

Addicted to her friends, coffee, every colour of wine, and any type of chocolate, she describes her clan as the family and friends who have built her castle and keep her sane, without whom she'd be short on humour and drinking games.

Reviews

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5! Historical book settings will always be so special to me. Honestly reading about spaes and what Jessie went through.. I mean who wouldn’t want to practice and learn more about what they can do?? Until it truly became a danger and oooohhh OH! Edge. Of. My. Seat.

I received this ARC for an honest review all thoughts/opinions above are my own!

[Lori ☼ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this tale set in a beautiful Scottish scenery, and I really liked the witchy vibes I got in the start of the book. Though I kind of wished for a bit more magic than what I got, there is plenty of love, family life and loss in this book. After a while it got a bit slow paced for me, and I think there was a bit too much back and forth maybe? It felt like a heavy book even though it really was not.
I liked the main character, though I also wished she would be a bit more badass through the book. All in all I give this book 3 ⭐️ and I look forward to reading the next book in this series! 📚


I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Beatrice Rivers · Rating 5 out of 5]

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!

[Fraxinus · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a stunningly beautiful story about women's friendships and the love between the generations. Set in a time when women's lore was often misconstrued as witchcraft, Heather and her daughter are members of a group of healers who take care of the women in the village. Unfortunately, their ways fly in the teachings of the local church and the Priest who has decided that he will stop at nothing to end their "Heathen Ways."

In this installment, Heather, a gifted psychic, passes down her knowledge and faith to the next generation. Her daughter, Jessie, a brilliant healer, is oftentimes frustrated by the injustices she sees around her and her inability to stop them. After Jessie's husband mysteriously falls ill, his family blames Jessie for his illness and do everything they can to sabotage her and her budding family.

In a tale as old as time herself, Heather and Jessie battle to keep their ways alive While the various "Leaders" of the village are plotting to destroy them and their beloved wood. Can Jessie see the signs, or will she end up another brilliant woman struck down by mediocre men?

This book was filled with flowers, lore, and love. I can't wait to see where the author takes this story next.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book took me a couple of chapters to get into, but was well worth me sticking with it. The book is set in historical Scotland, at a time when women who practiced the old ways were called witches (in this book the first born daughters are called Spaes), who were blamed for anything that went wrong. Heather grew up being a first daughter who was taught the way of Spaes. Jessie is Heather's only daughter and so her mother wants her to be taught just as she was.
This book was so very good! The characters were very well developed, the story had incredible depth and was very well written. The author did an amazing job laying the foundation, created a world that I felt transported back to, and characters that had solid bonds with others. This book has a depth to it that is not easy to create. I look forward to getting my hands on the next book in this series. I definitely recommend to anyone who loves a good historical book. You won't be disappointed!

[Liz Fully Booked · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book about the relationships between mothers and daughters, and the legacies they pass on being “spaes” in 1800’s Scotland.

The author creates a vivid world where the characters come to life, helping their fellow villagers, living the life they were taught to live from their mothers before them.

Of course, there will always be evil trying to suppress them if they can’t control them. What ensues is a story of survival and rebellion by these women who just want to live their lives as they have been, and the men who don’t want them to.

I very much enjoyed this book, especially as I love reading about 1800’s Scotland and their traditions. If you want your Scottish fix after reading some Outlander, this would be a great book to read!

I received an advance reader copy from the author, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Andrea · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to GoodReads for a copy of this book for my honest review.

In the 1800s there are women called spaes in Scotland who have gifted magical beliefs. Daughters who are born with these magical gifts must be protected. Heather was one girl who was born with powers. She talked to the sun & moon and could see colors around people and what it meant. There is also Jessie who has power and wanted to try them which made the opposing people upset.

They had to stop their use. The priest in town wanted to accuse Jessie of witchcraft. He wanted to burn the Forrest. It was a controversial.
Honestly, this was my first magic story within a country. For me, there were too many people to keep track of during the story. I appreciated the dynamics of the family to stay and protect their culture.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really bustling, busy read with action, love, mystery, family ties and deep loss set in Scotland in what appears to be the post witch-hunt era….with echos still felt very strongly in the story

Healing and heartaches chase each other through the book with a climactic last page making the reader wish for the next instalment of this colourful saga. The characters list is many and varied but well rounded and memorable. Loved the inclusion of Scottish words that really brought the characters to life.

Did not appreciate the cursing but thankfully it was used sparingly.

Otherwise…Recommended - please read!

[Dawn Rae · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved reading this ARC copy of The Sight of Heather. The author's knowledge of the Scottish heritage and the country itself is apparent and truly pleasured my soul. I could picture the scenery so clearly. Her characters are authentic and, love them or hate them, I couldn't help sinking myself into their stories, their feelings, their motives. The book is set in a time when accusations of witchcraft were a real and dangerous thing, and I couldn't help but admire the women of the story for their determination and fortitude. All in all, an excellent read, highly recommended.

[Kate Wells · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a long story which I like, however it ended abruptly with no resolution. Not sure if I liked the main character - I found her too headstrong and oblivious to others. I did not realise it was part of a trilogy until the end which I found disuptive. I received this as a complimentary copy from the author and am leaving this review voluntarily.

[JC · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engaging read! Just had the most wonderful days devouring it.

[Nikki M (Hot books and Sassy girls) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heather, who has a unique ability, acknowledges that every first daughter in her lineage will inherit this exceptional gift. However, the question lingers— is it truly a gift or a curse? Despite differing opinions among the townspeople, many accept and appreciate the unconventional practices of Heather and her friends and often seek their guidance. Heather finds solace in the forest, where she gathers herbs and leaves to craft potions for those in need.

Father Coyle is suspicious of these mystical practices, believing them to be a form of witchcraft, and he patiently waits for the opportune moment to express his concerns. Meanwhile, Heather's only daughter, Jessie, falls hopelessly in love with Tom, and life takes a challenging turn. As Jessie struggles with depression, Heather decides it's time to initiate her into the traditions of stones and the wisdom of the spaes.

Jessie, a spirited person with a thirst for knowledge, occasionally becomes too outspoken, causing concern among those who are more cautious. The arrival of a new manor owner, Mr Wilson, who is solely driven by profit, sets the stage for conflict. As rumors circulate and fingers are pointed at the spae practices, Wilson is determined to destroy what the community relies on. Father Coyle, eager to support Mr. Wilson, joins forces to condemn those perceived as practicing paganism, leading to a clash between tradition and modern beliefs.
Amid the conflict, Angus, Heather's son, finds himself torn between loyalty to his family and the need to keep his job at the manor. As the mood in town shifts against Jessie, Angus faces an important decision: Will he stand by his sister or succumb to the pressure and allow her to suffer the consequences of condemnation?
Jessie, struggling with the town's growing hostility, must now prove her innocence. Has she crossed the lines that those around her warned her about, or can she demonstrate that her actions were justified?
The looming threat intensifies as the malevolent Father Coyle sets his sights on the Spaes. The story raises questions about loyalty, justice, and the consequences of challenging societal norms. As a reader, you are left eagerly anticipating the resolution of these gripping conflicts and the fate of the Spaes in the face of impending doom. Will Heather guide her daughter, or has she already seen the outcome?
This compelling narrative transports us back to the early 1800s in Scotland, a time when women had few rights and rebelling against social norms came at a high price. Ally Stirling's storytelling is a tour de force, breathing life into a cast of characters who grapple with the harsh realities of their era, where the pursuit of personal beliefs is fraught with angst.
Stirling's writing style is a true testament to her skill, as she creates vivid descriptions that bring the colors and smells of the forest to life, allowing them to unfold in the reader's imagination. Her words danced gracefully across the pages, leaving an indelible impression. As a debut author, Ally Stirling's work is simply stunning and leaves me eagerly awaiting the next installment of this fascinating journey.

[Andi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of books featuring strong women and this was no exception. In addition, this book also had the added perk of also showcasing different types of relationships between women. Jessie was a strong, likeable character and the author's descriptions of Scottish culture and the landscape were a treat to read. I look forward to enjoying the rest of the books in this series as they come out!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.