Under A Gravid Sky

The Strathavon Saga #1

by Angela MacRae Shanks

"Beautiful and breathtaking, this Scottish historical novel transports you to the sweeping beauty of the Highlands." - Editor's choice, Historical Novel Society

* Winner of a Chill With A Book Premier Readers' Award
* A B.R.A.G. Medallion Honouree (Book Readers Appreciation Group)


In A Ravaged Land, How Can Two Wounded Souls Find Love?

The North-Eastern Highlands, 1747. In the weeks following Culloden, a victorious Hanoverian army rampages through the glens, committing atrocities, intent on crushing the rebellious Highland clans. In occupied Strathavon, persecuted families struggle under repressive new laws and rent rises. Five-year-old Rowena loses her mother, while Duncan witnesses the brutal events that make him an orphan.

A sensitive child told she must harden herself, Rowena turns to Morna, the green woman, who takes her on a journey of discovery into the magic of the natural world, passing on her healing skills. But as she blossoms into a woman, Rowena catches the eye of Hugh McBeath, a ruthless exciseman sent to extinguish the scourge of whisky smuggling from the Duke of Gordon’s lands. Beguiled, McBeath believes her a witch. Nevertheless, he must have her for his wife.

Smuggling illicit whisky has long been a tradition in Strathavon; the fiery spirit brings coin for paying rents. Now smuggling is deemed a traitorous act that helped fund the Jacobite Rising. Duncan is the best smuggler the glen has ever seen, but having hidden while his family burned, how can he ever be worthy of tender-hearted Rowena?

Rich with the language and lore of the Highlands, Under A Gravid Sky is a powerful portrayal of a land and people in turmoil. First in The Strathavon Saga, this is a prequel to The Blood And The Barley. Both books can be read independently as stand-alone novels.

Genres: Historical Fiction

306 pages, Paperback

First published May 27, 2021

About the author

Angela MacRae Shanks was born in Garmouth, a village near the mouth of the River Spey in northeast Scotland, and still lives near here. Her mother was born in Strathavon, a real place, and this remote glen is very dear to her heart. Here she first heard tales of the dramatic history of the area, its people and their struggles, and became fascinated by it.
Growing up in Moray, a beautiful part of Scotland known as ‘malt whisky country’, an interest in the area's illicit past grew, particularly the smuggling of whisky and the reasons behind it. Her fascination with the natural world and the folklore of the Highlands, combined with her training in natural therapies spawned a need to weave herbal lore into her tales. Those who healed using plants and the wisdom of nature, usually women, were often condemned as witches - she felt the need to explore this injustice. And so The Strathavon Saga was born.

Reviews

[Bonnie DeMoss · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Hanoverian Army, having won the Battle of Culloden in 1746, storms the northeastern Scottish Highlands, intent on crushing its clans. Seven-year-old Duncan hides while his family is burned to death. In 1747, five-year-old Rowena loses her mother, who dies in childbirth. Duncan is taken in by a priest, and then is passed to Rowena’s father, who teaches him the art of smuggling whisky. Rowena soon befriends Morna, the green woman, who eventually passes on to her the healing skills of the natural world. Years later, Hugh McBeath, a ruthless exciseman who has arrived to end the whisky smuggling in the area, is captivated by Rowena’s beauty. Although he thinks she is a witch, he wants her for his wife. Duncan, meanwhile, is the best smuggler in the glen, but feels he can never be worthy of the lovely and gifted Rowena.

Beautiful and breathtaking, this Scottish historical novel transports you to the sweeping beauty of the Highlands. The dialect is perfect for the period, and the lush descriptions of the scenery take the reader straight to the moss-covered mountains of Scotland. The story is alive with folklore as we learn of “wild places” and “faeryhills.” Because she is learning the art of healing and is sensitive to “the trees and their spirits,” Rowena is often thought of as a witch in a time when witches were tried and killed. The whisky-smuggling culture of the Highlands, and the reason for it, is also explored. Full of deception, treachery, love, folklore, and kinship, Under a Gravid Sky is a heartrending but passionate saga set in a tough and sometimes heartless time.

I received a free copy of this book from Braeatha Books via Historical Novels Review Magazine. My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.

[Michelline Perin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this book. ❤️

[Helen Hollick · Rating 4 out of 5]

It seems that the author is a native of the land she writes about, and it shows. The descriptions of this corner of Scotland are vividly portrayed, and she is adept at describing the working lives of the poorer folk who lived there in the 18th century and of the trials they faced just to stay alive. This is a beautifully produced book, with a gorgeous cover, and there is just enough dialect in the speech to give a real flavour of time and place, without it ever being confusing. And, on that note, the history and politics are dropped in very lightly - just enough so that we know what's going on, but never too much that we get an 'info dump'.

I'd have liked to see a slightly faster-paced narrative, particularly in the opening chapters which might have benefited from the children growing up by a few years, and I also wonder whether McBeath didn't need a little more back story, which could have developed his character and made us understand why he behaves so villainously. There were also a couple of plot points which didn't ring quite true for me. A good, experienced no-nonsense technical editor would bring out the talent that this author clearly possesses by helping to tighten the plot and resolve the pacing issues - to turn a good book into a brilliant one. Good editors cost money, but a really good editor is a worthwhile investment.

This is a prequel to The Blood and the Barley, and it's clear from the author's notes that more in the series are planned. Ms MacRae Shanks has created a world where she can explore the lives of her characters at length, and which she can return to time and again, and I'm sure her story-telling will grow stronger as the series expands.


Originally Reviewed for Discovering Diamonds

[ChillwithabookAWARD With · Rating 5 out of 5]

Under a Gravid Sky by Angela MacRae Shanks has received a Chill with a Book Readers' Premier Award. www.chillwithabook.com

[Martin Dey · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Under a Gravid Sky" vividly portrays the loss, oppression and fear felt by the people of the Highlands during the brutal "pacification" following the Jacobite Rising. The sense of constant danger and bewildering disrespect from the Hanoverian authorities is conveyed with great intimacy through being, initially, described through the eyes of children. The novel remains intimate throughout following the one family into adulthood and in doing so creates a wonderful invocation of place and time. As a Scot whose every known ancestor was living around the same north eastern landscape at that time, this story is a powerful reminder of what these brave people had to endure to survive.

[Anna Mc · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sunset Song this is not. If you are looking for something on par with that or the more contemporary but equally brilliant Witch Light by Susan Fletcher, you will be disappointed.
I was excited to read this as it's set in my home area. Persisted through the disturbing beginning section where the main character is a 5 year old girl but described in a creepily adult way. After the inexplicable 10 year time jump, things got a bit more palatable but the writing is overwrought and mawkish throughout, like a Mills and Boon "Highland" edition. Stuck with it as did enjoy reading about the places I know as well as the historical aspects but sadly nothing original or beautiful here. The ending was especially weak. I actually laughed and uttered "well that was ****!"

[Emily A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully and heart wrenchingly written

I loved both The Blood and the Barley and Under a Gravid Sky. I truly felt I could understand the plight of the highlanders for the first time. The books contain history of my ancestors I hadn’t known before. I now understand this era differently and I am grateful for the understanding. Can’t wait to read the next!

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in a week. It's very well written, never dull. It's a down to Earth novel that follows three characters through their respective journeys. If you liked Outlander, or other character motivated stories, I think you would like this one.

[Debra Loewen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

This is a very exciting and sweet story. Happy they got together but thinking they will have trouble down the road

[Catherine Lawrence · Rating 5 out of 5]

a good read

I really enjoyed this book. It was filled with just enough to keep me on the edge of my seat but not so jammed that I couldn’t keep up.

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book!!
The time after the British Invasion of Scotland is a very sad time. The British persecuted the Scots for anything, even just being there. Many of the families in the hills made Whisky to support their families, and of course the British were constantly seeking the smugglers. This is a story about one of these families. Rowena is a very special member of the family with the gift of healing, and communion with nature.

[louise page-bulloch · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good historical read

I am a fan of historical fiction, this book was an enjoyable read. When I first started the novel it reminded me of similar work written by Diana Gabaldon with attention to sights, customs and speech of the period, however it did not compare in the complex story telling, as I first thought it would. There are 3 main characters, the beautiful young heroine, the gallant proud hero and the arch villain. These characters are well drawn and believable. The story begins well and develops into a credible work of fiction, however I felt the ending abrupt and was left feeling that this could have been explored in more depth and better in conclusion, it felt it rushed to conclude. That being said I still thought it a good book of not a great one.

[Sophie Gauthier · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to admit at first it was a bit difficult for me to get into because it was a bit slow, but I ended up not being able to put it down.

This book was magnificently well written not only in the details of nature and its environment but also in the culture and ways of the Scottish Highlands of long ago. Their speech, accent, custom, traditions, folklore and ways of life enchanted me. I absolutely loved it, especially that time period after the battle of Culloden where the Scotts were crushed and all they held dear was banished.

I loved that the author used their proper language, Gaelic, as not a lot of them would speak English. I enjoyed almost everything in this book, even the love story.

The only thing I didn't care for is the constant and a weird need to remind us "readers" about the excitement in the groin region of the main villain... Almost every scene he has in this book is for him to get an erection thinking how he'd ravage/r@pe two if the main female characters; his maid Isobel and the healer Rowena... what on earth? Why was that necessary? His main motive is to force Rowena to marry him by manipulating her so he'd finally get her to his bed while he constantly takes advantage of that poor helpless maid that doesn't seem to have any wits about her.. He just didn't seem real but then, all the narcissistic people don't unfortunately and he is absolutely one of them.. I couldn't believe his train of thought most of the time 🤷

Ultimately, I did enjoy my reading and I am curious to see where all this is going. I will definitely read book two. Hopefully, it's still this good and Hugh gets a reality check 🤞

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Deep into the details of folklore and natural healing🌿

I picked this up because I love to read about Scotland and its history in the form of historical romance. It's set in a tumultuous period of Scottish history, in the mid 1700's just after the battle of Culloden Moor and the height of the British effort to trample and eradicate the Highland culture and spirit does feature. But, for me, this was a disappointment.

The major battle here is between local superstition and folklore, championed by a traditional healer who most locals shun until a crisis they can't handle, and organized religion. The first half of the novel focuses on young Rowena turning to the natural healer and away from the Catholic church which could not save her mother from death in childbirth. It was heavy on description of this and local whiskey smuggler efforts to make a living by evading the exciseman, with a few action sequences but not enough to maintain my interest. And the romance was very slow in developing with the main couple still children through a good portion of the story.

I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

[Katelyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

I liked it and will most likely read the next but at the same time I did have issues. I feel like our bad guy was a little unbelievable and I think I would have liked not being in his head.

Edit: the more I think about it I'm annoyed about a few other aspects. The bad guy could have been displayed as a bad guy, even a sexual assault douche from the eyes of the other characters in the story. I want to know more about what transpired during Mornas arrest. I want her death to have been more than what it was. It seemed like a passing footnote that was supposed to elicit deep sadness but it didn't. A few of the scenes seemed rushed that would have added to the story but the attempt to make the bad guy into a surmountable douche got more context then some important scenes to our main characters.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

slow moving plot but I liked how it ended

It was really hard to get into. Eventually I had to skip some of the more wordy descriptions. But it was easy to slip into their world and understand their environment and motivations. Would have liked to hear more of Rowena’s grown up life, earlier, and also more of her eventual romance. But I will likely read the sequel.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy very much reading the historical background of the highland culture and the characters for the most part are engaging. I was a bit disappointed in the ending. I thought Hugh needed a stronger put down and I wanted Duncan and Rowena to learn the truth about Hugh and the embroidered ribbon.

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really didn’t like the characters in this book I was reading it in a Glen not far from Strathavon but this didn’t help

[Alan Porter · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars well told storyline.....did lack a little more excitement...Will read Book 2.