In this historical novel, a family strives for a new and better existence after the Scottish defeat in the Battle of Culloden in 1746.

Following their battlefield victory, the English forces are determined to punish the remaining Highlanders by burning their crops, killing or seizing their livestock, and pressuring them to flee. The Scottish MacKenzies, Donald and Morag and their children, eventually make it to the coast. But that proves to be just a respite with little future, so off they sail to the New World, specifically Virginia (on the way, their younger daughter dies and is buried at sea). Because they could not pay in full for the passage, Donald becomes indentured and treated no better than an enslaved person, while the rest of the family is taken in by a kindly widow, Mistress MacDiarmid (aka “Missiemac”), on her tiny farm. Robbie MacKenzie, not yet 13 years old, becomes the man of the house. The clan’s overriding goal is to save enough money to free Donald. Besides helping on the farm for room and board, Morag gets work in a tavern and Robbie in a print shop. Life is in many ways good to them; Donald is only a few miles away, so they can visit and keep up his spirits because his daily existence on a plantation is beyond cruel. But many tribulations lie ahead. Rodger is a very earnest writer. Her prose is somewhat arch, often reminding readers of an earlier time, as if she were channeling James Fenimore Cooper. For example: “Great was the need to replenish the fluids expended in the brawl” and “An amused twinkle” flitted “over his countenance at the youthful exuberance.” And there is almost a mismatch between some truly horrific and well-handled scenes of violence and misery, like the episodes below deck on the voyage, the brutalities on the plantation, and Morag’s almost dying in a blizzard (rescued by her son and the family’s heroic collie, Roy), and the happy events and developments. The upbeat episodes can be sentimental and tear-jerking (Dickens would be proud). Rodger is determined that her virtuous characters get what they deserve, even if it means obvious manipulation. Still, this is a story with a heart that will enchant readers who are willing to embrace the author’s feel-good liberties.

A captivating tale about a Scottish family’s turbulent journey.