For Love of a Horse

Jinny #1

by Patricia Leitch

Book by Leitch, Patricia

Genres: Horses, Childrens, Young Adult, Animals, Fiction, Middle Grade, Classics

220 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1976

About the author

Patricia Leitch (July 13, 1933 - July 28, 2015) was a Scottish writer, best known for her series of children's books about a girl named Jinny Manders and her wild, traumatized Arabian horse Shantih, set in the Scottish Highlands.
The 12 books in the Jinny series were published between 1976 - 1988 by Armada. They are currently in reprint by Catnip Publishers.
Two more of her novels, Dream of Fair Horses (1975) and The Horse from Black Loch (1963) have been republished by Jane Badger Books.
Leitch has also written under the pseudonym Jane Eliot.

Reviews

[Bren fall in love with the sea. · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Jinny sat entranced, hardly breathing, and then her breath burst out of her in a throbbing gasp. She loved the chestnut mare. As if all their long day's travelling had only been for this. As if she had come all the way from Stopton only for this, to see this sudden gift of perfection.”
― Patricia Leitch, For Love of a Horse


One of my favorites from childhood. I loved reading about Ginny. Loved that beautiful horse so much. We named one of our cats Shante..after the horse.

Recommended..any age readers, horse lovers, animal lovers..read it. It is to good a book to have so few reviews.

[Pip · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite being decades old, the Jinny series remains one of the most powerful and realistic horsey series around.

An imaginative, impractical and wilful young girl, Jinny Manders has always longed for a horse of her own, a chestnut Arab mare being paramount on her wishlist. When her family moves from Stopton to the Scottish highlands it looks like her wish is about to come true, that she really is going to get a pony of her own. But everything changes when she sees a horse identical to the one of her dreams being mistreated at a circus. Luck intervenes and the travelling circus is passing by her neighbour's farm when "Yasmin the Killer Horse" knocks her trailer over in a rage. When the crazy Arab has bolted off for the hilly wilderness surrounding her, Jinny's neighbour Mr MacKenzie buys the mare from the circus, planning to sell her next spring. But Jinny thinks it is no coincidence that newly named "Shantih" has practically been delivered to her doorstep, and she's determined to tame the beautiful red horse, no matter what the consequences.

For Love of a Horse is the first book in a touching and unforgettable series. Don't dismiss it for being written in the 1970s and slightly old-fashioned - Jinny at Finmory is unique to any other horsey series for its scruffy, tomboyish central character, mythological and realistic plots combined, and artistic, graceful prose. There is also a great deal of character development and strong themes such as animal welfare and vegetarianism that make it even more distinctive. Despite the main character being an eleven-to-fourteen-year-old girl and aimed at likewise ages, I would say these books suit just about anyone. Adults and children alike have been intrigued by it for the past four decades and will undoubtedly remain the same for many more years to come.

[Daisy May Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been in the mood for some classics recently. And not your Oliver Twist type of classics. These are my classics, my stories that built me, that made me who I am today and they are, I hope, stories that may do the same to you.

For Love Of A Horse, the first in the Jinny books, is quite possibly my teenage heart spilled over pages. And it's quite possibly yours, and your neighbour's and your cousins and your aunties.

The horse phase borders all our lives. It is a phase a world of people go through; that hungry, desperate urge to stand at the edge of the field and make that curling click with your tongue.

It's been written about, of course, already. The Flicka books (which start with My Friend Flicka) and the Silver Brumby series (the first - The Silver Brumby) are beautiful, wild books that take the horse story and fling it into realms distant and thrilling, realms populated by horses called Thunderhead and Baringa and Banner and Boon Boon.

But Jinny, the redheaded eleven year old living on the moors in Scotland, trumps all of them and does so quite brilliantly.

A lot of that is due to Leitch's Km Peyton-esque prose. Leitch writes with an understated acuity, which occasionally slides into paragraphs of poetical love. The following quote comes from a moment at the circus. Jinny, our lead, has just sat through an act with rosinbacks horses - their 'patient watery eyes ... their scarred legs and sunken necks'. And now, following that, Jinny meets Shantih for the first time:

'The horse was a pure-bred Arab. She came, bright and dancing, flaunting into the ring, her tail held high over her quarters , her silken mane flowing over the crest of her neck. Her head was fine-boned and delicate, with the concave line of the true Arab horse. Her dark, lustrous eyes were fringed with long lashes and the nostrils wrinkling her velvet muzzle were huge black pits. She moved around the ring like a bright flame, her pricked ears as delicate as flower petals. Her legs were clean and unblemished and her small hooves were polished ivory. After the dull ache of the rosinbacks, she was pure fire.'

You could give me a thousand hideous chapters, a thousand hideous paragraphs, if you gave me moments like this every now and then. Moments which bring a catch to my throat and remind me of the girl I was and still am and forever will be.

Leitch is very, very talented. And the Jinny books should be, if you're pony-mad or know somebody who is, mandatory.

[Jennifer Selzer · Rating 5 out of 5]

What little girl doesn't love a story about a girl and her horse? I mean, it's primal, isn't it? The thing that makes this book so special is that it's not dumbed down, it's not anything but what it is... it's a story about a girl and her horse. Of course, the fact that it's set on the fabulous moody hills and beaches of Scotland in a creaky, old atmospheric farmhouse sure doesn't hurt. The main character, a headstrong, opinionated 11-year old girl falls in love with a horse at a circus, and must rescue her when her when she escapes her caravan when it crashes going around a hill. Awesome.
I can't deny that this is probably one of my favorite book of all time, and most definitely factors into why I'm a writer today and also partly where my love for the UK started. I got this book the summer after I think 4th grade, from the Scholastic newspaper they used to give out at the end of the year when you could order books for summer reading. It came in a stack of other animal-themed books that I'd ordered, and I remember reading it and loving it immediately. It kept me up late that first summer and continues to keep me up late as an adult. I read it over about once a year, that's how much I love this book and how much staying power it has for me. About 7 years ago, I was replacing an old copy and came to find that this was the first in a SERIES of books... the Jinny stories... holy cow, I went nuts, bought them all, which was no easy feat since most of them hadn't been published in America. And some 30 years after first reading this book, I was in love all over again and some of the books in that series are positively magical. I truly owe the author, Patricia Leitch, a letter of thanks, as she definitely influenced me, in my formidable years, to have the imagination that I do, and to put words and thoughts together to create the world that would otherwise only exist in my mind.

[Cheyenne Blue · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've set aside everything I was reading to read this, the first of the "Jinny" books. Strangely, I never read this one as a kid, but that makes it all the more pleasurable as an adult.

Beautiful writing that stands up there with the best. And while a few things seem dated (Jinny's bullying teacher who only teaches how to parse sentences and maths problems and who hits them with a strap) the book has a timeless quality to it. Jinny is tomboyish, willful, passionate, disobedient and rude, but she's a wonderful heroine. Shantih, the wild Arab mare, seems the perfect companion. The minor characters (Jinny's family, Ken, Dollina, Mr Mackenzie) are vivid and real.

I've got the reprint put out by Catnip Books. I have a feeling I'm not going to stop until I've read the lot.

Simply marvellous.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

For me this wasn't a trip down memory lane because although I am of the right age bracket I never read these as a kid. Nevertheless, I can see why so many people hold this dear. It had me welling up in places and I'm not one who is easily moved to tears. It also made me long for the time it was written in, when there still seemed to be space on the planet and Scotland was as wild as it is described to be in this. Leitch's prose, which is simply beautiful, mirrors that untamedness and shares it with both the heroine and 'her' horse Shanti. Definitely a classic that deserves to be one.

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's interesting rereading all these childhood books and seeing what appeals to me more as an adult. This is one I liked as a kid but didn't necessarily love - and I think that's because it's a surprisingly grownup book. I think it helps that it's set in England/Scotland (something about those bogs and snowy, windswept moors adds to the magic), but the writing itself is beautiful and profound in places.

The story's mostly about Jinny, an 11 year old who loves horses and is determined to make a beautiful Arabian filly her own, but the setup is more subtle, and much darker and sadder. Her father, a parole officer who seems to largely deal with teenagers, quits his job and moves his family to the countryside to write a book and make pottery. I copied out this entire passage:

p. 4 "Now that the decision had actually been taken, Mr. Manders was wondering desperately if he was doing the right thing. A middle-aged Stopton probation officer suddenly selling up everything and going off to the Highlands. He was going to write a book and be a potter. At one time, the fact that the only pottery Mr. Manders had ever made in his life had been at evening classes had only made the move seem more of an adventure. But during the last month he had been waking up in the early hours of the morning to lie staring into the darkness, wondering if it was all mad nonsense. He told himself he had no choice. He had reached the stage where he had to go. He couldn't bear the hopelessness of being a probation officer in a big city for a moment longer."

At first, I laughed; this is early enough in the book that it just seems funny, and a little ridiculous. Sure, moving to Scotland to make pottery and write a book - that's about as reasonable as anything in children's books ever is.

But the truth is, sometimes you do hit that desperation point as an adult, and you have to make difficult decisions between money and career and...your happiness. Tom's issues run deeper, and this comes out in bits and pieces as the book goes on. Jinny doesn't know everything about his job, but she does understand that it was difficult, and that it made him sad. Much later, there's a statement that sort of gets slipped in, unnoticed unless you're old enough, probably, to be paying attention.

If Tom Manders had stayed in his job for much longer, it would've changed him. It would've made him cold and callous and judgmental, and maybe a little cruel. The book isn't just a whim after all; he's writing up the stories he came across as a probation officer, in hopes that his words will make other people pay attention. That people will start to see these "criminals" as human beings, too.

Ken, the 17 year old who came from "a good family" but nevertheless ended up with the wrong crowd and landed in probation, is one of the most interesting characters in the book. He's kind and good-hearted - in a fierce sort of way, because he's angry, too. Jinny's too young to really understand why, but I think it's fascinating that he gets folded into this family - one he chose for himself, because he never fit with the one he was born into.

This book is part of a series, but it really does stand well on its own. Sharp, clever, descriptive writing, and a tight narrative that seems to be about a horse but really covers so much more.

[Dark-Draco · Rating 3 out of 5]

REVIEW FEBRUARY 2006
This was one of my favourite series of books as a child and I couldn't resist revisiting when I spotted this in a charity shop. It is the story of Jinny, who dreams of owning her very own horse, a dream likely to come true when they move to a small farm in Scotland. But on the way, she visits a circus, which cruelly treats a red Arab mare and Jinny intervenes. Eventually, the Arab horse escapes on to the moor and Jinny sets about trying to gain her trust, while also trying to fit into her new world. A nice read that children of all ages (and those over 18!) will like.

REVIEW MAY 2020
Now, I read these books a lot as a child and I would have sworn blind the horse was called Shanith! Maybe I couldn't work out how to read Shantih and so made up my own name - weird how your brain works!

Anyway, I enjoyed my trip down memory lane. I always liked these books as they were a bit different to your run of the mill pony books I had. While still being a glorious bit of escapism and wish-fulfillment for the pony mad girl, there is still enough of a grounding in reality and a good enough story, that they are instantly more memorable. Yes, with my adult eyes, I know that life doesn't work like that, but in reading about Jinny falling in love with the neglected horse, the efforts she goes to trying (and largely failing) to get near her and then the final climax of the story, you can't help but want to be a part of the story. Well worth the read.

[Iga · Rating 5 out of 5]

Książka jest bardzo ciekawa, szybko się ją czyta oraz bardzo wciąga.
Opowiada ona o niezwykłej więzi jaką człowiek I koń mogą nawiązać jeśli sobie zaufają.
Jinny jest dość młodą i upartą nastolatką, która pragnie mieć własną arabską klacz. W cyrku dostrzega pięknego rudego konia. Nie podoba jej się tylko zachowanie tresera, który ciągle biję ją batem. Dziewczyna powoduje duże zamieszanie. Czy jeszcze zobaczy klacz swoich marzeń czy przepadnie ona na zawsze?
Bardzo polecam żadna książka mnie jeszcze tak nie wciągnęła. 👍👍👍👍👍👍❤❤❤❤❤❤

[Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, if I had read this when I was 9-16, this book would have got ten out of five from the then-me. Quintessential wish-fulfillment fiction for horsemad girls, which I was, though I never got closer than one ride on a friend's horse and a few plastic horse figures. And I couldn't even draw; my more talented friends drew horses to sublimate their unmet wishes.

Reading it now, the snarky old adult me kept pointing out how coincidental it all is, what a Mary Sue Impossible Jinny is, and how nobody could do what she does and live to tell the tale. Yeah, I know. But if I had read it back in the day I wouldn't have cared, I would have worn at least one copy threadbare.
I still enjoyed it, even while my grownup self (who sadly tutors literature and its analysis) picked it full of holes with cries of "Tchah! As if!" and eyerolling.

Yeah, I'll probably read it again. :)

[Inky · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is like an old friend. My fifth grade teacher, at the end of the school year, let my friend and I choose a book from her classroom bookshelves, as a gift for helping her out off an on throughout that year. I grabbed this one without question, it was and still is one of my favourite books. I couldn't say how many times I've read it in those early years, but just recently found it in the childhood collections I had tucked away.. I'll soon be adding a few more to that tally. I only wish I could get my hands on the rest in her series.

Always have and always will love horses. Still haven't had one of my own yet.. probably reading this book again will rekindle those long-term flames. It's a truly touching story.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this in the bath. I first read it when I was 13, and am now 33 - and there is not one part of this book that isn't also perfect for an adult who still loves horses. Leitch's writing is polished and surprisingly lyrical, and she has an absolute grasp of horses and the way they react in different situations. She is able to bring the Scottish Highlands to life, to the point where they are another character in the story. There are some sophisticated ideas, particularly those introduced by the character of Ken. Shantih is the perfect horse (even though I'd never want to own an Arab myself!) Altogether it was just massively fun and I can't wait to read the rest of the series.

[Christine Meunier · Rating 5 out of 5]

An evocative tale of a gorgeous chestnut Arabian mare and the girl that aspires to catch her. More at http://equus-blog.com/for-love-of-a-h...

[JustJen "Miss Conduct"]

Remember reading this when I was a little girl. <3

[Stephanie A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nostalgic read for me -- one of the old horse books I remember my best friend, who used to shop at thrift stores before I knew what those were, having in childhood. I don't think I ever read it, though, or at least didn't finish it, because it doesn't feel familiar. Between the British setting and a more serious/mature writing style than my usual horse book fare, I suspect it was a little too dry for me at the time. But I'm so glad I finally got around to it!

I fell in love with Finmory, the big drafty house in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by fields and wild moorland. I can absolutely see why Jinny was so immediately enchanted by and claimed the pair of attic rooms, divided only by an arched doorway, with an old mural of a horse right there on the wall. In practice, not sure I'd actually do well attending a 1-room schoolhouse with a man who is somehow able to get away with corporal punishment in the freaking 1970s, but at least getting to ride a (sturdy Highland) pony to school would be fun. Jinny's future kids are gonna be so jealous of their mom's stories.

Gets a bit repetitive in the second half, as Jinny does the same things over and over -- predator-stalking the pony herd and trying to approach them, spooking the Arab, whining to her family about it while doing absolutely nothing to help set up/clean/work on the house, and wailing about how she just HAS to have her magical special horse (that no one has ever said will officially be hers, as opposed to the farmer who bought her and has already said plain as day he'll sell her to rich people come spring). Can you please chill.

At least it finally gets us a lovely ending when Jinny, despite nearly dying of hypothermia while looking for the mare, manages to find her -- injured and also nearly dead of hypothermia -- and drag her home, nursing her back to health and winning her trust in the process. The prize money from a conveniently-timed win in an art contest then seals the purchase deal.

I look forward to future books where they actually spend time together, because to be honest, by the end of this I'm still attached to the adorably-named pony Bramble quite a bit more than Shantih...but I do recognize the allure of an Arabian. The aforementioned friend had a (very calm) Arabian gelding, as well as a (rather less-well-behaved, at least under saddle) half-Arab mare.

Side note: this boy Ken, hippie handyman-helper who's been adopted into the fold after being rescued from a life of unloved-rich-boy-turned-riffraff? I like him, I want to see more of him.

As a kid, I definitely did not realize this book was the beginning of such a long series, and I've only come across one other book in all these years of thrifting (#3), so I'll reluctantly have to press the pause button for now. But hopefully, one day I can continue (I see the full series is available on Kindle now, which I appreciate in theory, but I have not yet accepted ebooks in my heart).

[Emma Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is outstanding! I so wish I'd discovered this as a child. This is about Jinny, whose family moves from the city to Finmory in the countryside where she can finally fulfill her dream of riding every day. When she sees an abused mare stuck in a circus, she vows to rescue her.

This has a lot going on - Jinny's school is awful, she has no friends there for the entire book but she takes refuge in her passion for horses. She also has a friend from home, Ken, who's rather mysterious but also helpful and lovely to her.

I enjoyed this so much. Jill is an artist, which is lovely - I love it when children have more than one interest in books, they're often described as very single-minded. There's a thread of social justice running here that I wasn't expecting - her father is a probation officer and is writing a book about his experiences, Ken has been to jail.

Despite a lot of very sad scenes where Jill is lonely (hence the four stars), this somehow felt like home - I can tell Jill is becoming a favourite character of mine already.

I can't wait to read the rest!

[Justka · Rating 5 out of 5]

,,Na ratunek Shanti'' to jedna z pierwszych książek, które sama przeczytałam. Teraz postanowiłam zrobić reread pierwszych trzech tomów i przeczytać kolejnych dziewięć.
Mam niezwykły sentyment do tej historii. Jako dorosła czytelniczka dostrzegam w niej znacznie więcej, niż jako dziecko. Ta powieść niesie za sobą mnóstwo wartości: szacunek i miłość do zwierząt, pokazuje, jak krzywdzące są stereotypy i ile trzeba poświęcić, aby osiągnąć sukces.
W ,,Na ratunek Shanti'' najbardziej doceniam to, jak umiejętnie autorka przeplata negatywne i pozytywne wydarzenia w życiu bohaterów. To sprawia, że jestem w stanie w stu procentach uwierzyć w Jinny, Shanti, rodzinę Mandersów i całe Finmory.
Jestem zauroczona tą książką i nie mogę doczekać się kolejnych tomów!

[Vintagebooklvr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jinny, a young teenager, has recently moved from a city to the Scottish moors. There she encounters a beautiful, wild Arab mare who has escaped from a traveling circus that abused her. Now, she dreams of being able to befriend this wonderful mare..

A perfect series for kids who love horses. Jinny is not a rich kid, but rather from a working class, struggles with her beautiful, seemingly perfect older sister, and the family struggles even more financially. She worries a lot about being able to keep Shantih.

There are plenty of adventures, some beautiful written passages that manage to capture the beautiful, wild moors and the beautiful wild horse.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book from a used book sale when I think I was probably 11. I loved it and then forgot about it for 30 years. Not sure why it popped into my head recently, I couldn’t even remember the name or author. But after a half hour searching a description of the cover, I found it again and ordered it from a used book site. I know now why it came back to me out of the blue like that. Because I was Jinny when I was 11, and I’m still her now. Still waiting for my own horse, but I’ll never stop dreaming of the day.

[Emily Carter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Old favorite from teenage years, the 'Jinny' books are a lovely nostalgic read for me. A young girls dreams come true as she and her family up sticks and move from city life to the wild highlands of Scotland. Her passion,the wild chestnut Arab however, has yet to be rescued.

[Kay Cugini · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the Jinny at Finmory books as an animal mad child, now as a still-animal-mad adult Ive rediscovered these books and reading them again, wonderful memories of long summer days spent with horses xx

[Reading Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every girl in her horse stage...you know that stage...needs to read this book! It has everything I love. Beautiful friendship with a wild animal, family struggles, country settling, rambling house, strong female character that is very brave.

[Maggie. Twisted Dragonflies · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite series as a kid, enjoyed the trip down memory lane.

Oh to live in Finmory house with the sea at the bottom of your garden and a chestnut Arab horse to ride with over the Moors.

My childhood heart adored Jinny's world.

[ella · Rating 5 out of 5]

read in 2011

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this series, comfort reading.....

[Allison Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

My very favorite since I got it from a scholastic book order form in 4th or 5th grade. I will always love it.

[_ Michalak · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wracam do serii z dzieciństwa

[fili · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jinny liebt nichts mehr als Pferde. Als ihre Familie aus der Großstadt in ein abgelegenes schottisches Landhaus zieht, erfüllt sich der Traum von einem Pony. Eigentlich müsste Jinny nun das glücklichste Mädchen der Welt sein, wäre da nicht das entlaufene Zirkuspferd, die Araberstute Shantih, das in ihrem Kopf herurumgeistert. Jinny weigert sich, das misshandelte Pferd seinem Schicksal zu überlassen und streift täglich durch das schottische Hochmoor, auf der Suche nach ihrem Traumpferd.
Schon als kleines Mädchen habe ich meine Leidenschaft für Pferde und meine Liebe fürs Lesen entdeckt. "Jinny und ihr Traumpferd" gehörte ursprünglich meiner Mutter. Sie bekam das Buch von ihrem Vater geschenkt, als sie selbst noch ein kleines Mädchen war. Als ich es zum ersten Mal las, war ich keine sieben Jahre alt und Protagonistin Jinny erschien mir mit ihren 11 Jahren unglaublich erwachsen zu sein. Wie gerne hätte ich damals ihr Leben gelebt. Heute, fast 18 Jahre später, mache ich eine Ausbildung zur Buchhändlerin und habe mein eigenes Traumpferd gefunden. Dass meine Daisy der Stute Shantih aus Jinnys Geschichte sogar ein wenig ähnlich ist, ist dabei reiner Zufall.
Heute wieder in diese Geschichte abzutauchen, war wie nach Hause kommen. Schade, dass die Bücher mittlerweile alle vergriffen sind. Eine solch spannende und vor allem authentische Pferdegeschichte habe ich seither nicht mehr gelesen!

[Wiktoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jeśli Wasza siostra/kuzynka/córka ma +/- 11 lat i jest koniarą, kupcie jej od razu całą serię, zostawcie ją na tydzień ze wszystkimi książkami (najlepiej w okresie wakacyjnym) i gwarantuję Wam, że będzie absolutnie zachwycona. Jedna z najukochańszych serii mojego dzieciństwa, w którą zaczytywałam się z wypiekami na twarzy, a także niejednokrotnie - łzami wzruszenia. Do dzisiaj trzymam książki w domu i nie mam zamiaru się ich pozbyć - może jak będę miała więcej wolnego, dla rozrywki przeczytam sobie raz jeszcze, by znowu poczuć smak upalnych lipcowych dni sprzed lat.

Książki zawierają w sobie wszystko, co jest w stanie zachwycić miłośniczkę koni z czwartej/piątej klasy podstawówki (a także sentymentalną studentkę, której czasem robi się żal, że porzuciła swoją dawną wielką pasję):
-postacie (w tym główną bohaterkę) o ciekawych i wyrazistych charakterach
-dużo koni i generalnie contentu jeździeckiego - oczywiście, klacz głównej bohaterki jest arabką, ponieważ większość małych fanatyczek jeździectwa marzy o posiadaniu konia arabskiego
-wciągające i zaskakujące przygody
-wątki zaczerpnięte z mitologii celtyckiej (jeden z moich ulubionych elementów!)

Ode mnie ogromne serducho i polecam z całych sił!

[Tania · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jinny is not my favorite of heroines, but the beautiful setting, the supportive family, the good friend she has in Ken, and the wild adventures of the horses all combine to make For Love of a Horse a sweet novel. Set in Scotland, where the family has just relocated to from England, Leitch takes readers on a journey of acclimation, growth, acceptance, and love.

After moving to Scotland, young Jinny falls in love with a mare that is not hers - she even names her (Shantih). And despite everyone's advice and the orders of the mare's owners, Jinny pursues her dream of taming the mare. This is why I do not love Jinny, and the love that I take from this book is not that of her and horse. Instead it is the love of her family and friends, who support her and look out for her and ultimately who she relies on, that I found reassuring. Indeed, I fell in love with the Scottish highlands as adventures ensued upon them. There were some pieces that didn't really fit here, such as some of the side stories with Ken (which I accept just because I wouldn't want to lose him from the story), but overall it was a nice read.