Customer Reviews

Against the Tide: The Valor of Margaret Wilson (Chosen Daughters)

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When I saw the title of this book, I knew I needed it. I recognized the heroine as one of the two Margarets martyred together on the Solway Firth. I enjoyed the book very much. The author brought the period to life, and showed the fear and courage of the "killing times", when one's life was not much safer at home than abroad.

The book begins when Margaret was very young, and tells of the few years of maturing she had before her betrayal and martyrdom. Knowing the tragic but glorious end makes each part of Margaret's life more poignant.

There is a little romance between Margaret and a close neighbor, with three mentions of "innocent kisses." Fergus eventually asks Margaret to marry him and flee to Ireland, but Margaret believed she should stay single, though she loved him very much. I don't know whether this is actual history, but it fits nicely in the book.

One thing that did trouble me was the portrayal of Margaret's disobedience to her father, and her arguing with him in front of the family. I do understand that her conscience dictated that she not go to the church meeting with her family, but rather meet secretly with true believers. Also Margaret's father is shown as not being able to choose between his cattle and his Saviour, when he was trying to protect his family. Even though they were not being fed at the state church, he went to protect his family, and he did teach them the Scriptures at home. I'm not saying his decision was the best one or not; it's hard to tell what someone should or should not do when you've never been in their shoes. Also, Margaret's determination to separate from her father's authority caused her two younger siblings to follow her example, which was a good example except in the way she treated her father. And I do realize that this is historically accurate. I just wish Margaret might have been portrayed showing her father more respect.

Altogether, I would recommend this book, and will keep it on my shelf and read it again. I really appreciate the author's work, and am happy that a book has been written for young girls about Margaret Wilson.

Against the Tide: The Valor of Margaret Wilson is part of the Chosen Daughters Series for young adult readers. I feel this is a great crossover book for adults as well. The story is based on the "Real" Margaret Wilson, who died for her beliefs and rebellion against King Charles II. If you're into historical fiction, then you'll love this book. If you've never read a historical fiction, then I highly recommend this book as your first.

Margaret Wilson is a blooming young lady in Seventeenth-century Scotland. The English occupy and rule over the Scotsmen. It's a time of intolerance to faiths outside English beliefs. The Covenanters of Scotland find themselves under cruel laws and demands of King Charles II. Margaret's family is earnest in their desire to uphold their loyalty to their faith and to the King, believing it's the only way to keep their home safe from prosecution.

As a young Covenanter, Margaret is torn between her family and her conscious. How can she willing comply to the King's demands for her absolute obedience if it goes against the covenants of her faith? Margaret must choose between defying the authorities, following her father's guidance, and standing alone as a rebel Covenanter. With hopes and fears, Margaret follows her heart in search of a future with happiness.

Hope Irvin Marston did a wonderful job bring the reader into the story of Margaret Wilson. I felt I was back in Seventeenth-century Scotland from the very first paragraph. I wept with Margaret and her family. I shuddered when loved ones and friends were lost. I smiled and took joy in the happy moments of Margaret's life and I felt torn between the decisions she had to make.

At the beginning and end of the book, Marston shares her journey to learn about Margaret Wilson, whom she spoke with, and what landmarks still stand today as a reminder of her story. Many times I knew I lacked the courage this young woman had and I marveled at the in-depth research Hope Irvin Marston did to retell Margaret's story.

Margaret Wilson is heartbroken over the death of her friend, Finlay, who was killed by dragoons. Finlay wasn't even going to a Covenanters meeting, but lately the dragoons have been striking first and asking questions later. King Charles II has recently taken the throne and claimed to be the head of the Church of Scotland. He demands that the people attend his churches only.

Margaret wants to take a stand for her faith, but she is afraid. Her parents are determined to attend the king's services and not make trouble. She wants to obey her parents, but she feels that God is calling her to a different path. Believers should be able to worship God in their own way. Is that worth risking her life? Her determination puts her life and her siblings' life in danger.

A woman tells Margaret that each person is called to serve God in their own way. For some that is a life of service. For others it is a life of sacrifice. Although Margaret wants to serve God without having to give up her life, she is determined to let God choose her path.

I knew little of Church history from this time period and found the struggle fascinating. Although Margaret's story is incredible and heartbreaking, I was not drawn to her character as strongly as I would like to have been. Sometimes historical fiction reads like a list of researched events and this book got that way for me at times. If the author could have gotten deeper into Margaret's character from a writing aspect, this book would have been amazing. I still enjoyed the history and peeking into the life of this woman who lived so long ago.

This is the story of Margaret Wilson - one of two Margaret's who were martyred during the time of the Covenanters of Scotland. Her devotion to 'King Jesus' and her harsh struggles and uncompromising spirit in trust in her Holy God was unbelievable. What an encouraging story and great history on the struggles that the Scots went through. I would recommend this book to everyone.

I was very disappointed by this book. Shallow and fraught with ridiculous modern wording and extremely fake romance that is not corroborated in history whatsoever. Very poorly written historical fiction, although the author seems to have read quite a few books on the Covenanters in preparation.

If you are interested in the Covenanters, try reading Hunted and Harried: A Tale of the Scottish Covenanters (R. M. Ballantyne Collection) by R. M. Ballantyne. WELL worth the extra cost here on amazon. And you can also find it for free on some oop book websites, although I personally prefer to read a "real" book rather than on the computer. Another good book about the Covenanters is Fair Sunshine: Character Studies of the Scottish Covenanters.

The time period is amazing, filled with many martyrs and brave people standing for what they believed to be right. Definitely a great era to read about and worth finding a *good* book to do so.

Set in Scotland, during the 1600's, Against the Tide: The Valor of Margaret Wilson, written by Hope Irvin Marston, tells the story of a courageous young woman who refused to deny her faith.

The story takes place during the time of religious persecution in Scotland. The government forbade any churches that weren't Catholic. Those who didn't follow the Catholic faith were ostracized and many were killed for their rejection of the official church. The Covenanters were such a group. They were Christians.

Margaret Wilson was only a teen when the religious persecution started in Scotland, but she was so grounded and steadfast in her faith, she refused to deny God, even when faced with death. She and her siblings, Agnes and John, were forced to hide out with other Covenanters in order to avoid persecution. Margaret and her sister were eventually captured; Agnes was later released but Margaret was sentenced to death by drowning.

Although Margaret's parents both believed in God, neither were strong enough to stand up for their faith when questioned. They succumbed to the authority of the governments' edicts.

What I Like: Like other historical fiction, this story brings this period of history alive through its portrayal of Margaret Wilson and those around her.

What I Dislike: I'm probably being nit-picky, but there were a couple of things I didn't like about the story. Agnes, Margaret's younger sister, was apparently a sickly child, prone to tiring easily. This proves to be an important factor later on in the story when they must go into hiding. However, it isn't even mentioned until the reader is about halfway through the book. Something that important should have been stated earlier on in the text.

Also, when Margaret and her siblings go into hiding, food is left for them in various places so they won't starve. There is always mention of a "basket of food" being found and brought to their hiding spot. However, there is no mention of the basket ever being returned to be refilled or being used for any other purpose. Their time of hiding was rather lengthy during which many baskets of food were found and consumed. As I read the story, I just couldn't help wondering: What happened to all those baskets?

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Age Appeal: Young adult.

Christine M. Irvin - Christian Children's Book Review