Coronach

CORONACH... stunning writing... brilliant prose... disturbing for ordinary mortals. Indeed a life's work.

I loved "Coronach", it's a stunning book. Not for the faint-hearted, but why should it be? Life could be brutal in post-Culloden Scotland.

I read this beautifully written book from cover to cover. I was enthralled, sometimes appalled but it was never in doubt that I would read it to its powerful conclusion. A triumph!

Citation for CORONACH, selected as runner-up "Book of the Month", July 2019: "Not a read for the faint-hearted. The aftermath of Culloden (April 1746) and this novel reflects the horror and violence suffered by the defeated Scots. There are graphic and explicit scenes, so not a book for a relaxing bedtime read... but it is a stunning novel that brought home the reality of what happened in the glens and Highlands. The best book I have read this year."

Truth be told, upon completion of CORONACH-- the new paperback reissue of the terrific tale of Scotland's Highland genocide-- I struggled for words. I could describe the novel's soaring and sweeping storyline. I could outline the historical, political, military and socio-cultural context within which that storyline unfolds. I could detail the larger-than-life lives of those who inhabit that context. I could characterize the scribe's writing as clean, clear and concise. I could signal the significance of the work for modern audiences. I could explain why a book such as this is a worthwhile investment of time and headspace, or why it will tug on heartstrings. Truth be told, however, upon completion of CORONACH, I struggled for words. Except, perhaps, one: EPIC.