John Sayles

Scottish rebels transported to America, Jamie becomes Indian, Jenny ends as a nunI spent about two weeks intermittently reading this novel. It begins at the Battle of Culloden in 1746 with the title character, a young, educated Scotsman of the minor nobility, hurrying to join the Scottish forces fighting for Charles Stuart. The Scots are defeated before he arrives, and Jamie is captured, condemned as a rebel Jacobite, held in capitivity and nearly hung before being transported to the American colonies as an indentured slave. At the time he was fleeing in Scotland, he chances to meet Jennie, a crofters daughter. In return for her help, he gives her a ring, but she is soon rounded up with many Scottish rebels in the terrors that followed the battle. She is separately indentured, but the ship carrying her to the colonies is taken by French pirates, and she is taken to Martinique. Jamie's and Jennie's stories alternate throughout the book. Jamie escapes brutal slavery, is captured but then adopted by Lenape indians, participates as a translator in the war between the French and English for control of North America, ending captured again at the battle of Quebec. Jennie becomes the paramour of a French artillery officer who is transferred from Martinique to Acadia, where he is killed as a fort is bombarded. Jennie is then a refugee, eventually an Indian captive, is traded to a priest who keeps her as a housemaid. She ends up in Quebec caring for wounded soldiers, and the nuns put her in a habit to protect her from the English. She meets Jamie when captive of the indians, and they recognize each other, but there is no further connection between them, Jamie escapes capture by the English, aided by his brother, who had joined the Highland regiment, and tells his soldiers in Erse to "aim high, he's one of us" as Jamie plunges into the St Lawrence, and is picked up by his indian lover. The author is omniscent, stating the thoughts of the characters. George Washington, Henry Fielding, William Hogarth, General James Wolfe and other historical characters have moments of thoughts and perspectives on the events. The details of indian life, soldiering, locales and life in the colonial times are plentiful (possibly too plentiful). The plot is driven more than once by coincidence and the need to cover all the places and events. The author is a film maker, and the structure of the book is that of a grand technicolor epic movie.… (meer)

Long epic journey from Scotland to the United States and the French and Indian War as seen through the eyes of young Jamie MacGillivray, whose family lost their lands to the English, and Jenny, a poor young woman who is caught up in the Scottish troubles and is sent in chains to the United States.

The biggest thing keeping me from loving this seemingly accurate historical portrayal is the overuse of too many foreign phrases - especially French. The author tried to give the reader a clue about what was being said, but that really disrupted the flow of reading when I had to stop and try to translate (often used Google translate). When not a foreign language, the author used so much Scottish dialect I was also stumped at times as to what was being said.

However, the historical part of the book is great - although very gruesome at times. The Scottish attempt in 1746 to place a "pretender" king on the throne was interesting, but extremely violent. Likewise, as Jamie makes his way to America (after a horrifying sea journey) as an indentured servant, the historical part of what was happening in the US was interesting. Eventually Jamie wins himself living with an Indian tribe during the struggles between France and England-the Indians loyalty changing constantly depending on promises of both countries.

Interesting - probably a bit too long (600+ pages) and would have been much better with less French!… (meer)