The Unreliable Death of Lady Grange
by Sue Lawrence
Edinburgh, January 1732. It’s the funeral of Rachel, wife of Lord Grange. Her death is a shock. Still young, she’d shown no signs of ill health. Rachel is, however, still alive. She has been brutally kidnapped by the man who has falsified her death: her husband. Her punishment, perhaps, for railing against his infidelity – or simply for being too feisty for a lady and never submissive enough as a wife. Whether to conceal his Jacobite leanings or to replace his wife with a long-time mistress, Lord Grange banishes Rachel to a remote island exile, to an isolated life of hardship on St Kilda, where she can never be found. This is the gripping story of a woman who has until now been remembered mostly by her husband’s unflattering account. It’s a remarkable tale of how the real Lady Grange may have coped with such a dramatic fate, with courage and grace.
REVIEWS OF The Unreliable Death of Lady Grange
“A compelling narrative … fitting current trends in historical fiction, where women’s history is centralised and new light shed on their position in the past … An enjoyable read.” Historical Novels Review
“A fascinating historical novel … utterly compelling … a book we'd highly recommend.” Undiscovered Scotland
“Swept me along breathlessly … The cruelty and complexity of eighteenth-century Scottish society is richly represented. And what a story to uncover!” Dr Annie Gray (author of The Greedy Queen and Victory in the Kitchen)
“An imaginative telling of an extraordinary true story, played out against a wild landscape in unforgiving times.” Sarah Maine
“The wronged lady finally has her say … One of the strangest and most disturbing stories to have emerged from Scotland’s Jacobite past.” The Times
“From the Jacobite intrigues of eighteenth-century Edinburgh to Scotland’s dark and sea-battered islands, Lady Grange’s life is one of eye-popping incident. An amazing story.” Sally Magnusson