“Truth. Jamie seized on the word and let it fuel his courage. “And I cannot deny the vow I made to you on the day you left.” He wrapped his hands round her arms, her soft flesh giving way beneath his grasp. “Listen to me, Leana, Those were not idle words intended only to comfort you. I meant what I said: I will ne’er repent of loving you.”
She lowered her eyes, glassy with tears. “But you have repented. You have wisely chosen to love Rose instead.”
“You are wrong. I did not choose.” His grip on her arms tightened, lest he shake her. Lest he pull her into his embrace. “Don’t you see? The choice was made for me.”
“By Rose, you mean?”
“Nae, Leana. By you.”
~ Excerpt from Whence Came A Prince by Liz Curtis Higgs
It is 1790. The Scottish moorlands roll with grass made green by abundant rain, purple heather teases the nose with its musty scent, and a shepherd’s folksong rises above the bleating of sheep dotting a nearby hill. With a unique and enchanting setting, Whence Came A Prince is the ancient story of one man torn by the love of two sisters.
Jamie McKie struggles against the guilt of a shameful past that his domineering and deceitful father-in-law is unwittingly driving him to rectify. By law, the church, and society Rose is Jamie’s wife, yet how can he forget the year Leana slept by his side, bore him a son?
Faithful, devoted to God, and wise beyond her years, Leana does what is right, what is expected of her no matter the toll on her own heart.
Rose, insecure and searching for answers in all the wrong places, takes vengeance into her own hands. Will this be the downfall of the McKie household before it has even been firmly established?
Deeply descriptive, at times almost to the point of excess, Liz Curtis Higgs, nevertheless, wrapped me in 18th century Scotland as if in a warm, scratchy plaid. At the conclusion, I felt more than a bit wiser to life as it was in the Lowlands of Scotland some two hundred years past.
Slightly predictable for those familiar with the Biblical account of the patriarch Jacob, Whence Came a Prince is at the same time stunning in its colorful originality. It is a paradox that compels the pages to be turned.
Each character has been expertly created and vividly depicts this story of honor and duty, nobility and humility, missteps and mercy. Their inner battles will forever be strikingly familiar to all peoples throughout the ages.
This deeply convicting book will warm the heart and stir the conscience. How would I react to such extreme injustice and hardship?
It is by far the best Liz Curtis Higgs read to date.
Copyright April Gardner. All rights reserved.
