Though Magnus MacLeish and Lark MacDougall grew up on the same castle grounds, Magnus is now laird of the great house and the Isle of Kerrera. Lark is but the keeper of his bees and the woman he is hoping will provide a tincture that might help his ailing wife conceive and bear him an heir. But when his wife dies suddenly, Magnus and Lark find themselves caught up in a whirlwind of accusations, expelled from their beloved island, and sold as indentured servants across the Atlantic. Yet even when all hope seems dashed against the rocky coastline of the Virginia colony, it may be that in this New World the two of them could make a new beginning–together.
Laura Frantz’s prose sparkles with authenticity and deep feeling as she digs into her own family history to share this breathless tale of love, exile, and courage in Colonial America.
***
This is my first book by Laura Frantz, and I have to admit, A Bound Heart is definite a keeper. Frantz transports you to Scotland in the 1750s and the little island of Kerrera. Lark and Magnus are people who live in 2 different worlds. Lark, daughter of a noble clan, is now just the keeper of the castle stillroom where she makes her herbal brews and also tends her bees. Magnus, a laird bound in an unhappy marriage and trying desperately to take care of his people.
When circumstances rip both from the land of their birth, they’re left with only their faith to see them through an ocean-voyage of hardships and then further testing in America.
Frantz is excellent at creating vivid imagery, and the characters are very well-developed. While the story is slow in places, it never gets boring, and it’s wonderful to watch how God takes care of Magnus and Lark through the trials that come their way.
If I have any complaints with the story, it’s only that I wish the romance between Lark and Magnus was better developed, and also that some threads were resolved more fully and fleshed out instead of being brushed aside to hasten the ending.
Verdict: If you’re looking for a good read with inspiring characters, buy this book!
(I received a free copy of the book from the publisher and author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.)
PS: My apologies if this review is a wee bit rushed. That’s what happens when you got too little time and a deadline to post this. 😛
Heart of Light 
Leave a Reply