
THE DIVIDED HEART 1750, Scottish Highlands. Four years after Bonnie Prince Charles had lost the battle of Culloden Moor, he and his friends are planning another Rising. The Duke of Arkrae, Chief of the Clan MacCraggan, is of great importance, owing to the strategic position of his territories. But where his sympathies lie is known neither to the Jacobites nor to the English. Iona a lovely 17-year-old red-haired ward of a Jacobite exile in Paris, agrees to impersonate the Duke's half-sister, who was drowned as a child. Her mission: to learn whether the duke, head of the most powerful clan in Scotland, was loyal to the prince--or a traitor. In order to discover the truth, she arrived to Skaig Castle. It was a scheme that called for wit and courage, and Iona complicated her task by falling hopelessly in love with the handsome duke at first sight! If he were a traitor, she must denounce him; and if he were not, she must disappear from his life as suddenly as she had entered it. For surely the Duke of Arkrae would not return the love of a nobody -- a pretender?
Iona, a young woman acting as a spy for the Jacobite cause, must infiltrate the stronghold of a powerful Scottish Duke to determine his political allegiances. Tasked with impersonating the Duke of Arkrae's long-lost half-sister, Iona navigates the treacherous social and political climate of the Scottish Highlands in 1750. She faces the constant threat of exposure while struggling to maintain her deception under the scrutiny of the Duke. The narrative follows her internal conflict as her mission to uncover potential treason clashes with her growing romantic attachment to the man she is sent to investigate.
Readers frequently highlight the classic romantic tropes and the fast-paced nature of the narrative that characterizes the author's extensive body of work. Discussion often centers on the balance between the historical backdrop of the Jacobite Rising and the central romantic entanglement. Critics note the focus on character archetypes and the predictable yet engaging progression of the plot. Many readers appreciate the atmospheric setting of the Scottish Highlands, which provides a distinct backdrop for the protagonist's deception and eventual emotional discovery.
Page Count:
0
Publication Date:
1968-01-01
Publisher:
Penguin Random House
ISBN-10:
0090004701
ISBN-13:
9780090004706
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