This wonderfully written historical novel follows the fortunes of the MacLeods, the great chiefs of Dunvegan and Harris, and Lewis in the Hebrides, during the 16th-17th Century. Based on thoroughly researched events, the turbulent and violent lives of the Western Island Clans of Scotland and their bloody battles are depicted, as is their gradual loss of independence. The story touches on great themes and archetypes as the decline of a set of values, a way of life and a form of masculinity unknown to modern eyes is witnessed through the shattering of the spirit of a great man. This is adventure story and authentic history, a remembrance of a long-lost way of life, a personality study and a valuable lesson in philosophy. Rich and resonant, sweeping and profound, Joyce writes with the same fresh, insightful eye and lively spirit she did in her bestseller, 'Locusts and Wild Honey' - a real treat.