The Gleam in the North by D. K. Broster

[regshoe]

All right, here we go.

The Gleam in the North (1927) is D. K. Broster's eighth novel, and it is a sequel to The Flight of the Heron. Now, before I read this one I was somewhat questioning the choice of FotH as a book for which to write a sequel—the story is so well-structured and contained in itself, and of course killing off one of the main characters at the end means it's not really possible to add anything to it. If I was choosing one of Broster's first seven books to write a sequel to I'd go with Sir Isumbras at the Ford, or perhaps 'Mr Rowl', both of which have fairly open endings with all the main characters still alive. I think I understand rather better now why Broster chose FotH instead—but I still don't really agree with the choice.

The action opens in 1752, more than six years since the ending of FotH. Ewen Cameron is back at Ardroy, with Alison and their two young sons, one of whom has a minor adventure and ends up requiring medical treatment. Ewen finds a doctor for him—but it's Archibald Cameron, who, still under an attainder, is back in Scotland secretly on Jacobite business. Appearing at Ardroy is therefore a risk for Archie, and one which, unfortunately, doesn't pay off. Archie escapes from the resulting redcoat raid, but Ewen is captured on suspicion of sheltering him and imprisoned at Fort William. From there... things go downhill, and, well, the rest is history.

The plot is based much more closely around specific historical events than Flight of the Heron—there, while the '45 is portrayed in brilliant historical detail, it's the setting for a fictional plot, but here, particularly later on, the main details of the plot simply are what historically happened to Dr Archibald Cameron in the first half of 1753. The early part of the plot focusses on Ewen's various adventures following his capture and escape—meeting a priest and having some thoughts on religion, meeting Major Guthrie and having some thoughts on revenge, meeting his cousins and having some thoughts about the Jacobite cause, and finally meeting Keith Windham's brother Francis and having some thoughts about Keith (<3). But then, despite Ewen's best efforts, Archie is finally captured, and the rest of the book follows Ewen as he tries in vain to prevent history from taking its course. It's an interesting structure, in that our protagonist is, for much of the time, not really the main character of the actual plot, so the story ends up being more about Ewen's reactions to events and his character development as a result.

And the historical stuff is really interesting! Broster is meticulous about accuracy as ever, and portrays the events leading up to Archie's fate in brilliant, dramatic detail. I was pleased to recognise several little things near the ending (the steel buckles...) from The Lyon in Mourning, which contains copies of Dr Cameron's last writings and an account of his execution. The character of Finlay MacPhair, a spy who apparently plays a role in Archie's capture, appears to be a fictionalised version of Alastair MacDonnell of Glengarry, the real 'Pickle'. I also enjoyed (sad as it was) the stuff earlier in the book about Ewen's life at Ardroy as it is in the wake of the Rising, with redcoats posted up and down the Great Glen and his former way of life largely proscribed. And, against this background, the book contains a lot of very interesting reflection on the ultimate fate of Jacobitism. Ewen wavers at the start between supporting ongoing Jacobite plots and acting to protect his family; later on, of course, he's determined to save Archie, but by the end he has pretty much accepted that for the Cause he loves it is, as the chapter titles put it, 'after sunset'. Broster gets in her honour and loyalty, but in a rather different form—Ewen has to let go of his desires for revenge and a resolution to the events of seven years earlier, and learn to move on. This, and his pre-emptive grief at Archie's death, which is described in some detail, were pretty heartbreaking. And in all this lovely historical detail, I feel like I'm getting to share with Broster a developing and extended interest in this period of history and the story of Jacobitism—it is a fascinating story to explore in more depth, and she certainly does it justice.

But then there's the other thing.

As I mentioned, Ewen meets Keith's brother Francis in one of the dramatic twists of the plot; later, he also meets Keith's mum and his step-dad, the Earl of Stowe, who attempts unsuccessfully to intercede for Archie on Ewen's behalf. While this is all very involved with the plot, it also provides Ewen with lots of opportunity for thinking about Keith, and we see very clearly that he's not over the ending of Flight of the Heron. He calls Keith his 'best friend', has more than one moment of more or less breaking down while thinking about Morar, declares that he will wear the ring Keith gave him until his dying day... Well, I appreciated getting to see that. I like Francis, the charming and hot-tempered, for his own sake as well—the misunderstandings and eventual friendship between him and Ewen are amusing and lovely—and Masters, the devoted old servant who's thrilled at the chance to speak about Keith to Ewen. (Although the episode with Lady Stowe is a bit grotesque, considering the context!).

And I wasn't as upset by seeing Ewen and Alison happily married with children as I might have been (there's a certain tinge to the whole thing, set alongside the rest—beautiful conventions received them; while out beyond the barrier... and all that; but I'm being unfair). Frankly, I think that knowing what was inevitable after the ending of FotH, and having heard many of the details from others in the fandom, I was pretty much already over it, and even I have to admit that, while it's of course the wrong thing, this is a plausible, and plausibly happy, future for Ewen. And the existence of a small boy called Keithie is rather affecting (or, at least, it would have been if his dialogue wasn't so atrociously written—seriously, Sir Isumbras at the Ford wasn't bad but Broster is not good at writing children).

...and yet. It's not that the things I discussed earlier—the plot and history and character development—aren't done really well, because they are. And it's not that the mentions of Keith felt at all perfunctory or insincere—they're neither. But they do seem to sit uncomfortably alongside the rest of the book, an odd idea that doesn't really fit here and doesn't have much to do with what the story is otherwise about. This book is not, in short, the story I love Flight of the Heron for; and I can't help but feel that it's in a sense undermining the significance of FotH to present this as an appropriate continuation of the story. And I think the resulting emotional detachment made it difficult for me to get properly invested in this book, either the story of Archie's fate or Ewen's character development. (Being so fannish about FotH probably doesn't help here; at this point I basically accept as canon the version of events where Keith survives and he and Ewen live happily ever after, and I can't really see a continuation where that's not the case as fully real).

So, to conclude, I'm conflicted. On the one hand, I totally understand why Broster chose to write this story, and I think she does it very well for what it is; but, on the other hand, I don't think there was ever any way she could have written it while really doing justice to Flight of the Heron—and that makes me sad, because I feel like she's almost forgetting the most important thing.

(Oh, one other thing—why so little Aunt Margaret? She's away for the entire early part of the plot set at Ardroy, and only appears very briefly in the epilogue. I was disappointed! Although it was amusing to see that sending her away on a visit apparently wasn't as implausible a contrivance as I thought it was while writing 'It Will Be Summer' :P).

Anyway. I'm going to go and bake some shortbread biscuits and read Flight of the Heron fix-it fic.

Comments

[garonne]

at this point I basically accept as canon the version of events where Keith survives and he and Ewen live happily ever after, and I can't really see a continuation where that's not the case as fully real

Haha, yes.

And it's not that the mentions of Keith felt at all perfunctory or insincere—they're neither. But they do seem to sit uncomfortably alongside the rest of the book, an odd idea that doesn't really fit here and doesn't have much to do with what the story is otherwise about. This book is not, in short, the story I love Flight of the Heron for; and I can't help but feel that it's in a sense undermining the significance of FotH to present this as an appropriate continuation of the story.

You've put your finger on exactly the thoughts that were rattling round in the back of my head but that I couldn't quite get straight. Although I did still think GitN was very good, taken out of the context of FotH. Actually now that I think about it, if it had been a straightforward historical Jacobite adventure novel with exactly the same story (minus Francis and the Major Guthrie bit, I guess) but with Ewen swapped out for some other young Cameron cousin, I probably would have thought it was excellent.

Actually I picked it up fully prepared (or braced, rather) to read something where Ewen was happily having adventures and Keith was not even mentioned, so anything was better than that! (I mean, I don't seriously think Broster would actually have done that. But I have had similar painful experiences in the past, of course, so one learns to expect it.)

One thing I did love: while reading FotH I was quite sure that Broster saw Keith as loving Ewen, but I was never completely sure how she saw Ewen's feelings for Keith. In the Ewen POV parts in the second half of the book, he almost seems to spend more time worrying about Lochiel's safety and Lochiel's good opinion of him, than thinking about either Keith or Alison! Whereas in GitN, I feel like we actually see rather more clearly how strongly Ewen felt about Keith, so I'm very glad she wrote that.

Also, I'm in the middle of writing a fic set in the 1750s where both Keith and Keithie are alive, so GitN has been quite useful for that *g*.

[theseatheseatheopensea]

You know, I also feel "The flight of the heron" works better as a stand-alone book! And I felt this even more so after reading the third book in the trilogy, which to me feels so removed from the feel of Tfoth, that I see it being kind of like "Almond wild almond"--its own, separate thing, with a few cameos from characters we already know. I wonder if Broster planned the whole thing as a trilogy in the first place, or if she decided to write more Jacobite stuff after the success of the first book?

(I agree with open endings being better for sequels. "Ships in the bay!", which is not exactly a sequel, makes more sense as one, so it totally proves your point.)

It's an interesting structure, in that our protagonist is, for much of the time, not really the main character of the actual plot, so the story ends up being more about Ewen's reactions to events and his character development as a result.

I had the same impression. It totally feels as if Ewen fades from the storyline as a main character as the trilogy progresses. We see a lot of character development, closure, etc, but I feel Broster moves him to the background in order to focus on other things/characters. *But* I feel that one of the times when Ewen is still at the heart of the book as a character is when we see his grief, not just about Doctor Cameron and the Cause, but also about Keith. Like you said, it's not as much about the plot as about reactions and character development, but it's still a good way to tell the story.

The historical stuff is super interesting and well done, like you said...the themes of resolution, moving on, accepting that the Cause is done, and the world has changed, etc., it was all very heartbreaking and emotional and well-written. I don't think it works as well in the third book, but I'll save my thoughts for later ;)

and even I have to admit that, while it's of course the wrong thing, this is a plausible, and plausibly happy, future for Ewen.

I think I've already mentioned this somewhere before, but I wish Alison would have been better written and more developed as a character. I totally get that we're meant to feel that Keith's sacrifice is what gave Ewen this happy future, but it seems like a wasted opportunity to give him such a little-developed relationship. Also it's unfair to Alison as a character, because if she's there, then I want to know more about her, and Broster never lets her be more than a background presence that never fully develops. I guess you could say that about many of her female characters, sadly...

And it's not that the mentions of Keith felt at all perfunctory or insincere—they're neither. But they do seem to sit uncomfortably alongside the rest of the book, an odd idea that doesn't really fit here and doesn't have much to do with what the story is otherwise about. This book is not, in short, the story I love Flight of the Heron for; and I can't help but feel that it's in a sense undermining the significance of FotH to present this as an appropriate continuation of the story.

This made a lot of sense to me, because even though the mentions of Keith and Ewen's grief for him were beautifully written, you could basically remove them all, and still have a book that made sense, plot-wise. In that sense, I agree with you in that they don't really fit in with this story. I got the feeling that Broster might have put them in to tie this book with Tfoth, and with the whole heron prophecy (in fact, Ewen gets a sort of non-sight feeling of his own about Keith) so if I let go of the emotional side of me that loved seeing all mentions of Keith, if you take them away from the story, it doesn't really change it. (This might be because of my feel of the trilogy as a whole, especially after reading the third book...which I liked less, but felt it was more honest,because it didn't seem to feed from the emotional weight of Tfoth, if that makes sense... I hope I remember to ask you what you think about this after you read it!)

I don't think there was ever any way she could have written it while really doing justice to Flight of the Heron—and that makes me sad, because I feel like she's almost forgetting the most important thing.

I totally agree. The bond between Ewen and Keith is the heart of the story, and in that sense, I'm glad that she took the focus away from Ewen as the trilogy moved forward, because once the first book ended, that part of the story was pretty much done with. I feel in this book it's just a footnote, and I'm not sure I want to have it as such... which is why I feel that these books would have worked better as separate ones, without forcing sequel-ish things.

(Oh, one other thing—why so little Aunt Margaret? She's away for the entire early part of the plot set at Ardroy, and only appears very briefly in the epilogue. I was disappointed!

No spoilers, but you won't be as disappointed by "The dark mile"! (well, at least not in the Aunt Margaret area...)

I hope you enjoy the biscuits and the reading! :)

[regshoe]

Actually now that I think about it, if it had been a straightforward historical Jacobite adventure novel with exactly the same story (minus Francis and the Major Guthrie bit, I guess) but with Ewen swapped out for some other young Cameron cousin, I probably would have thought it was excellent.

Yeah, that's just what I thought—that if Broster had written another Jacobite story exploring similar ideas, but with completely different characters, I would have liked it much better! (I gather that Almond, Wild Almond is also set during the '45 but Ewen only appears in a cameo, so I'm intrigued to see what she does there).

Oh, I agree about seeing Ewen's feelings for Keith much more clearly. I think we do get a bit of that in FotH ('you gave me back that night in the hut' (<333), as well as his grief right at the end), but it certainly comes across more strongly here. And I knew going in that there were going to be some bits about Keith (I'm sorry for the other canons that let you down there, how awful!)—I'm not quite sure what I was expecting, but it was good to see what we did get.

[regshoe]

You know, I also feel "The flight of the heron" works better as a stand-alone book!

Hmm—hence my annoyance at the recent tagging change, lol. I wonder about the planning, also, especially given how quickly each book followed on the last—she certainly can't have waited very long after FotH to plot out GitN, at least. I suspect that FotH set off an interest in the Jacobites which she then immediately wanted to explore further, and/or she just wanted to write more about Ewen :)

It totally feels as if Ewen fades from the storyline as a main character as the trilogy progresses.

That's very interesting. I'm kind of glad that there's apparently not going to be as much of him in the third book—if Broster wants to write another story, she should do that, with different characters. Well, we'll see!

I wish Alison would have been better written and more developed as a character.

Now, I don't agree there. I'm never going to like a character who's the canon love interest of half my OTP, and so if they have to exist I'd really prefer them to be as much of a nonentity as possible, so I can ignore them more easily. :P otherwise we get The Charioteer, and that'll never do.

even though the mentions of Keith and Ewen's grief for him were beautifully written, you could basically remove them all, and still have a book that made sense, plot-wise.

Yeah, exactly! I thought that Ewen's brief 'sight', and what follows from it, were one of the weakest parts of the book plot-wise—both his meetings with the Stowe family rely on contrived coincidences, and there's none of the weight of destiny that there is in FotH.

I'm intrigued by your thoughts on The Dark Mile... I'm probably going to go straight onto it, close the chapter of the read-through in which I still have to pay any attention to the original ending of FotH, and then see where to go from there :)

[theseatheseatheopensea]

Hmm—hence my annoyance at the recent tagging change, lol. I wonder about the planning, also, especially given how quickly each book followed on the last—she certainly can't have waited very long after FotH to plot out GitN, at least. I suspect that FotH set off an interest in the Jacobites which she then immediately wanted to explore further, and/or she just wanted to write more about Ewen :)

From reading that article that mentions her Highland holiday as inspiration, I got the sense that she got the story into her head right away, but I can't tell if that means only Tfoth, or the whole trilogy? But, in any case, writing more about Ewen seems like a good excuse, haha! And she gave him a cameo later on, so maybe he was her fave! <3

By the way, I also noticed that Ao3 tag change...maybe they wanted to make the books into a whole, like with "The lord of the rings" or something? I don't get how a lot of things about ao3 work, so I might be wrong here, but I feel that sometimes individual book tags work better and are less confusing?

Now, I don't agree there. I'm never going to like a character who's the canon love interest of half my OTP, and so if they have to exist I'd really prefer them to be as much of a nonentity as possible, so I can ignore them more easily. :P otherwise we get The Charioteer, and that'll never do.

Oh, that makes perfect sense! The pain levels of "The charioteer" must be avoided at all costs, please! ;) And it does feel easier to ignore a little-developed character, doesn't it? I guess I just feel eternally betrayed by little-developed female characters that are only there to be a love interest, like Alison. I feel like telling Broster "You killed off Keith for *this*?" I realise this sounds contradictory, because even if she had given us an Alison as nicely written as Raymonde or Valentine, I would have still prefered the Keith+Ewen bond...but the way she is written, I don't even get the chance to dislike her, because I know nothing about her! So, her writing definitely seems to work better when she keeps her het relationships separate from her male+male bonds, like I think you once said (of course, way more eloquently!) and whenever her female characters are allowed to be something else than nonentity love interests!

I am really looking forward to reading your review of "The dark mile"! :D

[luzula]

I've been a tag wrangler, and the change just proceeded from the general rules for book fandoms--it's really nothing to do with our fandom in particular. But yes, it annoyed me, too, since the first book is really the one that is central to the fandom. I guess nothing prevents us from continuing to use the FotH tag, it's just that it won't be canonical.

[luzula]

otherwise we get The Charioteer, and that'll never do

Wait, did you also ship Laurie/Andrew, or am I misunderstanding you? : )

[luzula]

Thanks, interesting review as always! Perhaps I will come back and say something deep and interesting tomorrow, but for now I need to go to bed...

Maybe you can just see GitN as fanfic for FotH, and as no more valid than our fix-it endings? : )

[regshoe]

I guess I just feel eternally betrayed by little-developed female characters that are only there to be a love interest

Oh, very much! I'd love to see more well-developed female characters who aren't love interests, or at least who have relationships I can actually root for. Actually, doesn't The Dark Mile involve a 'forbidden' romance with Ewen's cousin—I'm looking forward to seeing what I make of that, and the female character in question, it sounds like it could be pretty interesting...

From reading that article that mentions her Highland holiday as inspiration, I got the sense that she got the story into her head right away, but I can't tell if that means only Tfoth, or the whole trilogy?

If she started out knowing very little about Jacobite history, I think it must have been a while before she came up with the idea for GitN, if only because the plot depends so closely on some very specific (and less well-known compared with the '45 itself) historical events. I can see her doing the research for FotH and going, wait, that's what happened to Archie later on? Ooh, I must explore what this means for Ewen... :D

[regshoe]

Glad you enjoyed the review, and looking forward to your further thoughts!

Maybe you can just see GitN as fanfic for FotH, and as no more valid than our fix-it endings? : )

Oh, absolutely—it's a weird AU, that's all very well, now I shall return to the fix-it universe... :D

[regshoe]

Yes—I, um, had a bit of a disagreement with Lanyon and the ending in general, lol... perhaps one day I'll re-read the book and write a post about it all. Funnily enough, I remember the first time I saw your name in fandom was as the recip of a lovely Laurie/Andrew fix-it fic :)

[theseatheseatheopensea]

Actually, doesn't The Dark Mile involve a 'forbidden' romance with Ewen's cousin—I'm looking forward to seeing what I make of that, and the female character in question, it sounds like it could be pretty interesting...

Yes, exactly! Ewen's cousin is pretty much the main character. Even though I felt this book was more honest (because it didn't feel like it had much to do with Tfoth and so didn't use it as emotional blackmail for me as a reader, like Tgitn did at times) I kind of hated the central storyline--so I won't say anything (also because I don't know how to do it and avoid spoilers, so I will just wait for your review! :)

And you made *such* a good point about Broster and her research process! I quite like the idea of her starting out with a time period she found boring and knew little about, and then becoming fully invested in it! :D

And it makes so much sense that her research sources might have inspired her and given her ideas for the rest of the trilogy! There's "The lyon in mourning", of course, and I also think it's interesting that she dedicated Tfoth to Violet Jacob, but bits from "Flemington" pop up later on as well (but how I wish she had paid homage to her by making TFoth be a stand-alone book, instead of part of a trilogy!)

I would dearly love to see her list of the 80+ sources she used, because although I haven't read a lot about this time period and know very little about it, several of the tropes and situations that pop up in her books remind me of what little stuff I've read before (not counting Violet Jacob's novel, which I read afterwards) so I'd love to know if they are just coincidences, or if she actually read other novels set in the same time period and went "hmmmm... maybe I can do it better (and gayer)" ;) <3

And, to close this very random, late-night comment: I'm very disappointed that I couldn't find any non-fiction stuff about Jacobites, because if she'd written about them like she did about Royalists, I feel I'd have such a better understanding of what/who inspired her!

[hyarrowen]

Late to the party as usual, but I enjoyed your thoughts on GitN. It’s been so long since I read it first, and so long since I read it in its entirety, that I can’t really add anything very much. I remember being so pleased about Keithie, though rather miffed that the name wasn’t given to the elder son – what if Ewen and Alison had had daughters thereafter? And then I was raging mad that Ewen risked Keithie’s life for the sake of the damned Cause and really, really wanted to slap him. Broster didn’t have much interaction with children, I don’t think, or she would have done better with several aspects of writing Ewen’s.

OTOH I loved his repeated heartbreak about Keith himself. I have the feeling that her readers kept accosting her on the streets of Oxford and saying, “You killed off my fave, wtf?” and she realized he had to have quite a presence in her next Jacobite book or she’d be lynched. I can’t remember the bit you mentioned when Ewen has a vision of him, or a sense of his presence – unless it’s the bit by the fireside with Archie? If so, I’d missed the significance of that, just seeing it as a premonition, not a Premonition.

Ewen becomes something of a wandering POV in this book, you’re quite right about that, but there’s no other way he could have been in it. I hadn’t thought about the fact that he could be excised from it with no effect on the plot at all, but that’s basically true. Maybe it would have been better to write Archie’s story separately, and give a more satisfactory version of Ewen’s life after FotH in another book, with more about Keith, obviously. Instead we got a kind of half-and-half version.

But I like the part Alison plays in GitN. I like Alison herself a lot, and the kids too if I’m honest, and thereby I paint myself into a corner. Sigh.

I’ve read TDM a few times and am looking forward to your thoughts on it. It’s more like the rest of her romances, but as such it’s not a bad read at all!

[hyarrowen]

Actually I picked it up fully prepared (or braced, rather) to read something where Ewen was happily having adventures and Keith was not even mentioned, so anything was better than that! (I mean, I don't seriously think Broster would actually have done that. But I have had similar painful experiences in the past, of course, so one learns to expect it.)

Hornblower and Bush, right? I remember skipping through the rest of that book and the subsequent ones and - nothing. wth, Forrester?

I'm in the middle of writing a fic set in the 1750s where both Keith and Keithie are alive, so GitN has been quite useful for that *g*.

:D (??) Oh, dear. I'm honestly over-attached to all the main characters. But I'll await it with anticipation.

[hyarrowen]

The tagging change was really annoying. Who's going to look for "Jacobite Trilogy" fanfic? It's going to make reccing FotH much more cumbersome in future.

[regshoe]

I also think it's interesting that she dedicated Tfoth to Violet Jacob, but bits from "Flemington" pop up later on as well

Ooh, was the spy subplot in GitN one of those bits? I thought it was pretty interesting, although it could have been explored in more depth.

I'd love to know if they are just coincidences, or if she actually read other novels set in the same time period and went "hmmmm... maybe I can do it better (and gayer)" ;) <3

Haha, I'd like to see her source list too...! Apart from Broster's books the only other Jacobite fiction I've read is Walter Scott's novels, and I have to say the main characters in Waverley do come across kind of like perfect opposites of Ewen and Keith—I wonder if she had them in mind? :D

Aww, that is a shame that she apparently didn't write any Jacobite non-fiction, though.

[regshoe]

I have the feeling that her readers kept accosting her on the streets of Oxford and saying, “You killed off my fave, wtf?”

LOL, thank you for that image :D

Ewen's premonition is in the fireside scene with Archie—he says he has a strange feeling that he'll meet someone connected to Major Windham soon. Then in the bit with Guthrie he remembers that and thinks that it's come true (although it was presumably meant to refer to Francis as well, I suppose).

Maybe it would have been better to write Archie’s story separately, and give a more satisfactory version of Ewen’s life after FotH in another book, with more about Keith, obviously.

Yeah—I'd definitely have enjoyed a novel about Archie's story without the FotH connection. Although I'm not sure I would have wanted something all about Ewen's future and his grief about Keith—might be a bit much. :(

I kind of/almost liked Alison in GitN too, she's so resourceful and spirited. Again, perhaps in a separate non-sequel version—if she was the wife of some unrelated protagonist who I didn't ship with anyone else...

[theseatheseatheopensea]

Ooh, was the spy subplot in GitN one of those bits? I thought it was pretty interesting, although it could have been explored in more depth.

Now that you mention it, that could be *yet* another thing! I was thinking of stuff like significant birds, sleeptalking, firing squads, accidentally wounding the other person, tokens of remembrance... and other more specific situations too, but they would be spoilers for both Flemington and Tdm. I should have made a list, because there was also minor stuff that still looked like it was directly inspired by it, though!

Apart from Broster's books the only other Jacobite fiction I've read is Walter Scott's novels, and I have to say the main characters in Waverley do come across kind of like perfect opposites of Ewen and Keith—I wonder if she had them in mind? :D

Oh, I remember you recced "Waverley" before! I must keep it in mind!
When I first read Tfoth, I immediately thought of R. L. Stevenson's David Balfour novels, set in the Highlands, which I read when I was young. I remember they were great, full of adventures and suspense, and very exciting and fast-paced, great reading for when you're a kid! And, from my current perspective, I remember they had a very intense male/male friendship (well, like many of his books!) But I didn't know anything about the history back then (I must have been ten or so) and I probably missed everything, so I should re-read them and see what I think now! But ten year old me already recs them, for being great fun! :D

And I've also read an adventure novel by Edward Prime Stevenson, "The white cockades", also from the 1880s, and it's super gay--not because I say so, but because the author was himself gay and openly gave hints about the queerness in his books (this one isn't his best, it's a bit too sentimental and OTT and unrealistic, probably--but I forgive him, because his unapologetic gayness is the best thing ever and I love him!) I read this one in more recent years (while looking for any of his books that I could get my hands on) and then spotted some things in Broster's books that reminded me of it (like a secret passage to hide in, a ring as a gift, etc) and of course they could be coincidences, they aren't exactly rare things, right? But what if they aren't? Broster seems to have been extremely-super-well read and research-savvy, so it's not that far-fetched! :D

(Oops, this ended up being another super long comment--I can't seem to shut up about books, sorry not sorry, haha!)

[regshoe]

Long comments about good books are a great thing :D Thank you for all these recs—I've got quite a nice little bit of Jacobite-related reading to do, I can see... Huh, I've not heard of Edward Prime Stevenson, but a semi-openly queer author writing in the 1880s sounds very relevant to my interests—I'll certainly have a look for that one!

Waverley is the original romantic novel about the '45, and it's great fun—the main characters are a scheming Jacobite chieftain and a rather naive English officer who ardently admires this chieftain and ends up fighting for the Jacobites more or less by accident after visiting him in the Highlands. There's also Rob Roy, which is set during the '15 and features an amazing Northumbrian Jacobite heroine (she should have been the main character, honestly, but unfortunately Scott's preference for forgettable everyman protagonists lets him down :P).

[theseatheseatheopensea]

Oh, both of Scott's books sound good, even if he sidelines female characters too! Thanks! (Did "Rob Roy" inspired that Liam Neeson movie in any way? It's been ages since I watched it, but I remember Jacobites and Redcoats....) And I'm always here for all the book recs!

And oh man, I shouldn't start about EPS because I wouldn't shut up--he's one of the people I always include in my mental list of lesbian icons, haha! He was such an interesting person--a music writer/critic from the USA who later went to travel and live in Europe. Besides his adventure novels, he wrote and self-published a treaty in defence of homosexuality, and (significantly--to me at least) a novel called "Imre", about openly gay men, with a 100% unapologetically, joyously, queer Happy Ending... in 1906! I love him! <3

[regshoe]

I've not seen the Liam Neeson film—it looks as though it's an unrelated story inspired by the same historical Rob Roy MacGregor, a highly memorable Jacobite Highlander who appears as a side character in Scott's novel.

he wrote and self-published a treaty in defence of homosexuality, and (significantly--to me at least) a novel called "Imre", about openly gay men, with a 100% unapologetically, joyously, queer Happy Ending... in 1906!

Oh wow, that's certainly something! I'm not finding very much of his stuff on archive.org etc., but I'll keep a look out for this.

[theseatheseatheopensea]

I've not seen the Liam Neeson film—it looks as though it's an unrelated story inspired by the same historical Rob Roy MacGregor, a highly memorable Jacobite Highlander who appears as a side character in Scott's novel.

Aha, thanks for clearing it up! I will definitely keep my eyes open for this book! Speaking of books, I seem to remember that Gutenberg project also had stuff by EPS?? And I have "Imre" as an ebook, and will gladly send it to you, if you want! More people should know about him! <3

[regshoe]

Yes, there are a couple on Gutenberg! Though neither Imre nor The White Cockades, sadly.

And I have "Imre" as an ebook, and will gladly send it to you, if you want!

Ooh, yes please, that'd be great!

[theseatheseatheopensea]

Ohh :( I was (almost) sure I'd got "The white cockades" from Gutenberg, but it's been a while since I read it, so obviously I was wrong! I don't think I have it still, but I'll check just in case--and I'll send "Imre" to you as soon as I find it! :D

[luzula]

I remember finishing the book and being boggled that all the fic was Laurie/Ralph and absolutely none of it Laurie/Andrew. Ah well, I was out of step with that fandom. But it's been years since I read the book now, and it's no longer that vivid to me.

[luzula]

If you find The White Cockades, I am definitely also interested. : ) All I can find is expensive reprints of it from India...

[garonne]

Hornblower and Bush, right? 

Yes, that was one recent example. I mean, not that I had any expectations of anything explicitly romantic, of course. But it's one of those examples where you think, wow, the author really does not see this relationship as being as important to the characters as I do.

[garonne]

On another subject, I did not recognize the quote you used, but when I googled it I realised how many years it has been since I read Maurice. That book meant a lot to me when I stumbled on it quite by chance many years ago, back when I didn't have access to the internet and could not google "queer happy ending" or whatever. Now I want to reread it!

[regshoe]

Aww, yes, it is such a significant book, and a very lovely story—I should re-read it sometime too!