Ardnish: A Novel

Ardnish #3

by Angus MacDonald

This saga spanning from the Scottish Highlands to colonial South Africa is "far more than yet another wartime love story . . . impossible to put down"(Scottish Field).

Ardnish, the Highlands of Scotland, 1944: On his deathbed, Donald John Gillies sends for a priest to hear his last confession. During his eighty-five years he has witnessed much--world wars, the loss of family through death and emigration, and the daily struggles faced by the small remote community.

Waiting anxiously for the priest, his mind travels back to the dusty plains of South Africa in 1901, where he fought as a Lovat Scout during the Boer War, and where he met the woman who was the love of his life. Forced to abandon her and her young daughter in a British concentration camp, DJ returns to Scotland and his old life after his camp is ambushed by Boers and many of his fellow soldiers are massacred.

As he lies dying, an unexpected visitor arrives at Ardnish. making it more imperative then ever for DJ to come to terms with the past and to make peace with himself--and his family--while there is still time, in this "ingeniously plotted" novel that "sweeps the reader from the smokey peat fires of the West Highlands to the baking sun of the South African veldt at the height of the Boer War" (William Dalrymple).

Genres: Historical Fiction, Scotland, Africa, Fiction

256 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2020

About the author

Angus MacDonald is a Scottish businessman and author. He has lived all his life in the West Highlands, serving in the local regiment The Queens Own Highlanders before becoming an entrepreneur with businesses in publishing, education and renewable energy. Now largely retired from corporate life he is the author of the Ardnish series, is the proud owner of The Highland Bookshop and has built The Highland Cinema in Fort William town square.

Reviews

[Cora · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the last of 3 books about Ardnish, the others being We fought for Ardnish and Ardnish was home. It was a very emotional book about Donald John Gillies who joins the Lovat scouts and travels to Africa to fight in the Boer war. It is a close knit family and a small community of crofters on Ardnish an area which used to be full of crofts but has been abandoned because of the very harsh living conditions. The writer is really able to paint a picture of life at the beginning of 1900. As I love to travel to the west coast and Ardnamurchan the area is known to me and it was lovely to read about places like Glenborrodale castle, Glenuig, Roshven house, Fort William and Mallaig. The story touched my heart and I really recommend reading this book.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did enjoy this book because the author brings history to life in a personal, moving and interesting way, I’d never understood the Boer war that much before.

[James Cumming · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ardnish

Smashing story, I've thoroughly enjoyed all the Ardnish books, I would imagine that this will be the last of them, pity.

[Linda Reading · Rating 3 out of 5]

A light and easy to read story which gave a little depth to the area I am currently visiting.

[Lesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A simply-told story to follow.