From the bestselling award-winning author of The Good Wife of Bath comes this rollicking historical adventure that celebrates the art of whisky distilling, the defiant spirit of the Scottish Highlanders and a woman's fearless quest.

1780 Scottish Highlands
In every glass of whisky lies a small act of rebellion...

When Greer MacAlister's despised husband dies, she and her young daughter Fen find themselves in a remote whisky smuggling community in the heart of the Highlands. Here, illicit whisky making is a means of survival in a Scotland under occupation by the British, decades after the disastrous Battle of Culloden. The villagers are suspicious of the widow, but when Greer tricks excise officers away from their illegal stills with a courageous and daring act, they warm to her.

But the excise men are out for revenge, smuggling is a dangerous business, and whisky - a drink that has long ignited passions, songs, stories and danger - is at the rebellious heart of it all. Greer and Fen have no choice but to fight for the life they want.

This rollicking story of bravery, adventure, love and murder brings alive the Scottish Highlands of long ago. It is a poem to the art of whisky distilling and a world now lost to us, as well as a eulogy for those who were forced to leave it.

Details

ISBN13: 9781867227236
Format: Paperback / softback
Number of Pages: 480
Edition:
Publication Date: 02 Jul 2025
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty Ltd
Publication City, Country: Australia
Dimensions (cm): 23.5(H)x15.5(L)x3.5(W)643
Weight (gm): 643

Author Biography

Karen Brooks is the author of sixteen books - historical fiction, historical fantasy, YA fantasy, and one non-fiction. She was an academic for over 20 years, a newspaper columnist and social commentator. She has a Ph.D. in English/Cultural Studies and has published internationally on all things popular culture, education and social psychology. An award-winning teacher, she's taught throughout Australia and in The Netherlands and keynoted at many education conferences. Nowadays, she finds greatest contentment studying history and writing, and helping her husband in his Brewstillery, Captain Bligh's. She shares a beautiful stone house in Hobart, Tasmania, built in 1868, with her husband, adorable dogs and cats, and shelves brimming with books.

Reviews