The Wings of Morning

by Karen Harper

Against the backdrop of a Scottish island, Victorian London, and the Florida coast, Abigail McQueen overcomes tragedy and vows to find the cure for the plague that had killed her son. Reprint.

Genres: Romance, Historical, Fiction

432 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

A New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Karen Harper is a former college English instructor (The Ohio State University) and high school literature and writing teacher. A lifelong Ohioan, Karen and her husband Don divide their time between the midwest and the southeast, both locations she has used in her books. Besides her American settings, Karen loves the British Isles, where her Scottish and English roots run deep, and where she has set many of her historical Tudor-era mysteries and her historical novels about real and dynamic British women. Karen's books have been published in many foreign languages and she won the Mary Higgins Clark Award for 2005. Karen has given numerous talks to readers and writers across the county. Her most recent books include THE SOUTH SHORES TRILOGY (CHASING SHADOWS, DROWNING TIDES and FALLING DARKNESS.) Her latest historical is THE ROYAL NANNY. Please visit her website at www.KarenHarperAuthor and her fb page at www.facebook.com/KarenHarperAuthor

Reviews

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don't be misled by the cheesy cover illustration - this is a well written historical novel but it does contain romance and apparently the publisher really didn't know where else to place it! There is sound research here and solid writing.

This is the story of a 19th. century woman from St. Kilda, one of the western isles of Scotland. She becomes an outcast in her very small island community and eventually lives in London and then on Sanibel Island, Florida. She lives through the loss of her parents, her young husband and then her infant son, but is determined to solve the mystery of the terrible death toll for St. Kilda infants.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second time I've read this book, and I loved it just as much the 2nd time as the first. I really love stories with a historical setting. This is classified as a romance, and there are 3 love scenes in it, but they aren't raunchy.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have had this book for quite some time, but the cover picture didn't intrigue me. Lately as I was downsizing my bookshelves I read the front cover. A nice surprise. Abigail is a young woman living on St Kilda, an island off of Scotland that is quite primitive in its thinking. The story begins in 1851. Abigail has no family and lives on her own and is quite independent. Its a society run by men, who believe that education is not necessary and that women should do what men say. As the story progresses we learn that a large percentage of the children born there die within 8-10 days and when Abigails own child dies, she becomes obsessed with finding the reason why. During the course of the book, she travels to London to meet with doctors to see if they know the reason the babies die. She meets some very interesting upper class people who are willing to help her access the best doctors.. Life goes on and Abigail marries Morgan West, an American trader who sails back and forth with trade goods. It is now the time of the Civil War. I don't want to give away the story but it is worth reading.

[Anita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent historical story of one of the Scottish barrier islands and the harsh life on that wind swept isle. Abigail McQueen is a head strong champion of many causes particularly the high infant mortality of her home island but when she is cast out for her beliefs and attempts to enlighten the islanders, she sets off on a journey to rich London and beyond to her beloved husband’s land on another island - wild Sanibel during the Civil war.

[Nur Aqilah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shorter version of Outlander.

[Katy Lovejoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good as I've come to expect

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

In The Wings of Morning, we follow Abigail McQueen from the Scottish Isle of St. Kilda where social order and relationships are dominated by the men. She is scorned for her independent ways. She tries to educate children, which is frowned upon; and tries to educate the "knee woman" on birthing methods. Seems that 4 out of 5 newborns on the island die within 8 days due to a mysterious illness. She finally gets to marry her friend and the man she so loves, Douglas, and they too have a child who succumbs to this mysterious illness. Her husband dies while trying to rescue men from a boat that is in a tumultuous storm off the coast of the isle. Now the shattered Abigal starts her search for a cure for those babies that will haunt her for many a year.

An adventurous sea-captain, Morgan West, arrives on the island to study the land and all it has to offer. Abigail is besotten with him. He wants to take her with him, but she refuses. She refuses to follow her heart in this matter. Morgan has gone back to his homeland in the United States to fight in the Civil War. Meanwhile, Abigail along with her one friend, Margaret and her daughter, Janie, sail to London to pursue medical advice as to what causes the newborns to die at only 8 days old. Unclean methods used?

In London, she meets up with Morgan West again and is finally persuaded to marry. Although, after the marriage, he must leave at different times to sail back to America and bring supplies back to England. Soon Abigail learns that his ship exploded after being attacked and no one survived. Or did they? She then sails on to Sanibel off of Florida where Morgan has a home. She does take along her friend and daughter and of course, Curly, a young lad she undertook in St. Kilda. There they make friends with Indians and some escaped slaves. Abigail longs for Morgan and is forever faithful to him. She and her friends overcome many obstacles.

One day Abigail gets a wonderful surprise; one that will make her happy for the rest of her days.

This book brims with passion, authentic history, and tragedies.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I took this book to Sanibel Island on vacation and wanted to read some historical facts about the area. This vacation didn't offer me the time to really get into the book. The part about Sanibel was the last fourth of the book and really didn't give me the depth that I desired. All in all it was good, it gave me the insight of how people lived in Scotland and England during our Civil war era. It showed me how to survive in tough times and how one person can make a difference in others lives.

[Robyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this mid 1800s historical novel. Abigail McQueen is a delightful, determined woman who challenges patriarchy on The Scottish island St. Kilda, London, and then Sanibel Island, Florida during the Civil War. There is romance interwoven throughout a tale of improving birthing practices, the struggle within generational changes, and war. I am looking forward to reading more of Karen Harper's work hoping to enjoy another heroine like Abigail.

[Mary Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just came back from my first visit to Scotland, so I was interested in this book when I saw it on the Belfry Library shelf. I enjoy historical fiction and this was an intriguing reminder of what it most have been like to live on a remote island before modern knowledge and conveniences. This one goes on my "probably read again" list.

[Kaye · Rating 3 out of 5]

Historical romance set in 1850's. Gives details of life on Scottish Island and Florida's Sanibel island after the Civil War. Bookclub selection.