Here Burns My Candle Part 56

The ministers mentioned in Here Burns My Candle were also living and breathing folk. Rev. Dr. George Wishart and James Hogg both served at the Tron Kirk in 1745. Thomas Boston, a parish minister in Selkirkshire, was so devoted to his flock that, when his health was in steep decline, he delivered his last sermon from the manse window. His book Human Nature in its Fourfold State, which Elisabeth reads aloud one Sabbath, held a place of honor on many a Scot's bookshelf. James Thomson, the author of The Seasons, also hailed from the Borderland. When James was sixteen, his minister father died while performing an exorcism. Goodness.

Of course, the most famous historic figure in the novel is Charles Edward Stuart. He was first dubbed "bonny" in a letter written by eighteen-year-old Magdalen Pringle. Her eyewitness account of the prince's grand entry into Edinburgh is singularly charming: "The windows were full of Ladys who threw up their handkerchiefs and clap'd their hands and show'd great loyalty to the Bonny Prince."

Some readers have informed me that my novels make them hungry. (Ah, but they're calorie free, at least!) I'm not much of a cook, but I do adore old cookbooks. My latest fave is The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy by Hannah Gla.s.se. Though the book was originally published in 1747, facsimile editions continue to roll off the press. The recipe names are a hoot: "To dress a pig the French way" and "A second sort of fine pancakes." Then there's this one: "To keep Venison or Hares sweet, or to make them fresh when they stink." Aye, please do.

The Art of Cookery was one of many resources strewn about my feet as I wrote. Of the eight hundred Scottish volumes on my shelves, here are my top ten books about this grand time and place in history: Hugo Arnot, The History of Edinburgh (1799).

Walter Biggar Blaikie, Edinburgh at the Time of the

Occupation of Prince Charles (1910)

Rev. D. Butler, M.A., The Tron Kirk of Edinburgh (1906)

Robert Chambers, Traditions of Edinburgh (1929)

John Sibbald Gibson, Edinburgh in the '45 (1995)

Henry Grey Graham, The Social Life of Scotland in the

Eighteenth Century (1906)

Michael Hook and Walter Ross, The 'Forty-Five (1995)

Sir Herbert Maxwell, Edinburgh: A Historical Study (1916)

Stuart Reid, 1745: A Military History of the Last Jacobite.

Rising (1966).

David Wemyss, Lord Elcho, A Short Account of the Affairs.

of Scotland (1907).

As lovely as books about Scotland can be, friendly Scots are an even better resource when it comes to sorting out what's what. At Caddon View Country Guest House in Innerleithen, Joyce Lees and Molly Robertson served as my dialect coaches, while Steve and Lisa Davies fed me the tastiest dish of salmon on the planet.

At nearby Traquair House, the oldest inhabited house in Scotland, I had an audience with Catherine Maxwell Stuart, the twenty-first Lady of Traquair and a descendant of our Catherine Maxwell, Lady Nithsdale. "Audience" may be overstating things; we sat and chatted in her office with dogs running about and pictures of her darling children scattered round! Imagine my delight when one of her guides took me to the lower drawing room to see portraits of Lady Nithsdale's sisters, Barbara and Margaret Stuart, looking exactly as I'd described them in chapter 35. I may be the first American tourist who got teary-eyed gazing at those paintings.

A late October visit to Braemar, Elisabeth's childhood home, found us tramping about Braemar Castle on a private guided tour, courtesy of Andy and Sheila Anderson, who offered a warm welcome on a cold afternoon. Blessings to Doreen Wood, who put us in touch with them and provided a fine phrase for our story: "the eerie mating call of the red deer echoing round the frosty hills." Later that evening my husband and I heard that full-throated sound just as snow was beginning to fall. Still gives me shivers to think of it.

Closer to the village center, Kindrochaide Castle is reduced to rubble now, albeit very nice rubble, while the Victorian cottage where Robert Louis Stevenson began writing Treasure Islands as cozy as ever.

If you're curious about the origin of Elisabeth's pagan rites, worshiping the moon has a long and sordid history. The Bible clearly states that any man or woman who "served other G.o.ds, and worshipped them, either the sun, or moon, or any of the host of heaven" would be stoned to death (see Deuteronomy 17:25). No wonder Elisabeth was worried about the kirk session discovering her secret! Alexander Carmichael's Carmina Gadelica, a collection of Gaelic blessings, hymns, and poems from the Highlands and Islands, features many incantations dedicated to the moon; five of them were included here.

As to Andrew's malady, you'll find no better description of consumption than this pa.s.sage from Nicholas Nickleby by Charles d.i.c.kens: "A dread disease, in which the struggle between soul and body is so gradual, quiet, and solemn, and the result so sure, that day by day, and grain by grain, the mortal part wastes and withers away." Known by its modern name-tuberculosis or TB-the disease is still common round the world and still deadly.

On a happier note, my editorial team remains in excellent health, with well-sharpened pencils and keen eyes. Deep and abiding thanks to Laura Barker, Carol Bartley, Danelle McCafferty, and Sara Fortenberry for your incredible patience and prodigious gifts. Benny Gillies-a fine Scottish bookseller, proofreader, mapmaker, and friend-provided his services again, for which I am most grateful, and artist Simon Dawdry captured White Horse Close perfectly. Extra-special hugs go to my in-house editors, whom I cherish: Bill Higgs, who has a special gift for grammar, spelling, and word usage; Matt Higgs, who watches for accuracy, continuity, and character development; and Lilly Higgs, a storyteller in her own right, who gleefully brainstorms with me at all hours of the night. To each and to all, many blessings and many thanks.

I've reserved my most heartfelt grat.i.tude for you, dear reader, and am ever thankful for your support and encouragement. If you'd enjoy receiving my free newsletter, O Gentle Reader! e-mailed just twice a year, kindly pop on my Web site: www.LizCurtisHiggs.com.

And if you'd like free autographed bookplates for any of my novels, simply contact me by mail: Liz Curtis Higgs.

P.O. Box 43577.

Louisville, KY 40253-0577.

I hope you'll also join my Facebook Fan Page or follow me on Twitter. Not very eighteenth century but a fun way to stay in touch!

Finally, if you've not read my previous Scottish historical novels, then Thorn in My Heart, Fair Is the Rose, Whence Came a Prince, and Grace in Thine Eyes await you. Meanwhile I'm busy exploring the Borderland for our next journey with Marjory and Elisabeth. No doubt you recognized the source material for this Scottish tale: the beloved book of Ruth. Check out the Readers Guide for more about the fictional-biblical parallels. We covered the first eighteen verses of Ruth in Here Burns My Candle. Look for the balance of the story to unfold in Mine Is the Night. Two books should tell the tale. No, really. I promise.

Until we meet again, you are a blissin!

Readers Guide.

History is a mighty drama,

enacted upon the theatre of time,

with suns for lamps and

eternity for a background.

THOMAS CARLYLE.

1. History plays a major role in Here Burns My Candle. Not only Scottish history, but also ancient history steps onto the stage since our two main characters, Marjory and Elisabeth Kerr, are drawn from the biblical story of Naomi and Ruth. How did your familiarity with the original story shape your reading experience? What surprises did you find along the way? In what ways were the characters different than you expected? What are the benefits of taking a fictionalized look at a well-known story?

2. Although Elisabeth Kerr is featured on the cover, the novel opens by introducing us to her mother-in-law, Marjory Kerr. How would you describe Marjory in the first chapter? And in the final chapter? What changes did you notice in her att.i.tude toward the Almighty One over the course of the novel? And how did your feelings toward Marjory change, if at all, from first page to last? In your own experience, is growth more often borne of joy or of pain? Why might that be the case?

3. Ruth is celebrated as one of the "good girls" of the Bible, yet we often forget she began life as a pagan Moabitess, captured here in Elisabeth's worship of the Nameless One. Why do you think Elisabeth continued the auld ways even after marrying into a churchgoing family? In what ways does the power of tradition shape our att.i.tudes and actions? In chapter 4 Elisabeth poses many questions about the Almighty One. If you were sitting across from her right now, how would you answer her?

4. Donald and Andrew have their biblical counterparts too. Donald is based on Mahlon, whose name means "weakling" or "infertility." How does that description fit Donald? What other words might you use to characterize him? What, if anything, did you like about Elisabeth's husband? Andrew is patterned after Chilion, whose name means "pining" or "consumptive." Again, how do those words suit Andrew? Would Lord John have been proud of his sons, as Marjory was on that October eve in the forecourt of the palace, described in chapter 42? Why or why not?

5. Faithfulness and forgiveness are two themes interwoven throughout the story. In what ways are Marjory, Elisabeth, and Donald faithful? And unfaithful? For what does each need forgiveness and from whom? If you were in Elisabeth's place, faced with a loved one's request to "Forgive me... for all of it," how might you respond? In what ways do these characters' struggles with faithfulness and forgiveness reflect our desire to connect with others on a more meaningful level?

6. The epigraphs that open each chapter are meant to capture the heart of the action to come. How does the quote from George Herbert-"Words are women, deeds are men"-suit chapter 32? To what extent does his statement reflect your a.s.sessment of female-male differences? Choose an epigraph you especially like from the novel. Why does it appeal to you, and how does the quote match the chapter it introduces?

7. Marjory calls Elisabeth "a keeper of secrets." In truth, all the major characters in this story have something to hide. When Simon reveals his painful past, how does that impact Elisabeth's heart? When Donald confesses his litany of sins on paper, how does that affect the lives of those around him? And what secrets do Marjory and Elisabeth each harbor? In life, as in fiction, how might keeping secrets cause more harm than sharing the truth with those we love and trust?

8. Though Rob MacPherson has no biblical counterpart, he plays an important role in this story. What do his interactions with Elisabeth reveal about her character? And what does his relationship with Marjory tell us about her? How does Rob compare with Donald? Do you find Rob appealing or disturbing, and why? In what ways does Rob fall short of true hero status? What sort of future would you choose for him?

9. Loss is one of the central themes of the novel, summarized in Marjory's own fears: "Surely a grieving widow could not lose everything. Not all she owned. Not everything." Name all the things, big and small, that are taken from Marjory. Which of these losses struck you as most unexpected? If you've experienced one or more of these losses, how was your life affected? How would you cope if you truly lost everything? To what or whom would you look for strength and help, whatever the extent of your loss?

10. When Elisabeth chooses which direction her future will take, do you think she is running away from something or toward something, and why? Does Elisabeth fit the definition of a true heroine: a woman who loves sacrificially? If so, how? If not, what is she lacking? Her newfound faith will surely be tested in the sequel, Mine Is the Night. What indications do you have about how Elisabeth might respond to future trials and tribulations? What about Marjory? What course do you imagine their relationship will take in the months ahead?

11. Now that you've read this eighteenth-century interpretation, read the real story in Ruth 1:118. As you consider the pa.s.sage verse by verse, what parallels do you find between the Scottish novel and the biblical original? What "famine" might Lord John and Lady Marjory have experienced that sends them packing for Edinburgh? Why do you suppose Orpah turns back, just as Janet does? In Ruth 1:18 Naomi falls silent; Marjory does the same in the final chapter. Why, in each story, might that be the case?

12. Our Readers Guide opens with a quote from Thomas Carlyle, a nineteenth-century Scottish historian and essayist. In what ways does the historical reality of the Jacobite Rising of 1745 serve as a fitting backdrop for this story? What more recent historical event might also provide an interesting setting for this story and its themes? What eternal truths did you find illuminated in the hearts and lives of these characters? Finally, what do you love most about historical fiction, and what did you enjoy about Here Burns My Candle in particular?

For more about the author, visit www.LizCurtisHiggs.com.

OTHER BOOKS BY LIZ CURTIS HIGGS.

HISTORICAL FICTION.

Thorn in My Heart.

Fair Is the Rose

Whence Came a Prince.

Grace in Thine Eyes