The Mist and the Magic (Harper Monogram) [Paperback]

Susan Wiggs (Author)

Book Description

Series: Harper Monogram | Publication Date: January 1993

Caitlin MacBride wishes on a sunset for her true love, and when John Wesley Hawkins walks out of the mists and into her life she knows it will be forever--until she finds that John is an English spy assigned to sabotage her Irish homeland.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This tale of Connaught in the mid 17th century would have made for an interesting story had not Wiggs ( The Lily and the Leopard ) clogged the narrative with a surfeit of subplots and some dreadful dialogue. Having stayed royalist John Wesley Hawkins's execution--and kidnapped his young natural daughter--Oliver Cromwell convinces this Catholic bounty hunter to travel to Ireland and find the head of a warrior society terrorizing his Roundheads. As fiction would have it, the rebel leader is Caitlin MacBride, mistress of Clonmuir and, before long, Wesley's captor. Wesley turns out to be not only a model prisoner, a one-time novice in a clergy-less Catholic community, an expert horseman and fluent Gaelic speaker, but he's also an all-around sensitive guy, able to see that Caitlin is a woman who needs some manliness in her life, who needs "to be touched" and whose defense of her manse is "a tragedy," as it has forced her to bury her femininity. The only thing that's wrong with Caitlin is that she would buy such blarney as "Look, I can't woo you with poetry. I can't overwhelm you with my virility. Good God, what must I do to win you?"
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Harpercollins (Mm); PF edition (January 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061080519
• ISBN-13: 978-0061080517
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #956,651 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Susan Wiggs's life is all about family, friends...and fiction. She lives at the water's edge on an island in Puget Sound, and she commutes to her writers' group in a 17-foot motorboat. She's been featured in the national media, including NPR's "Talk of the Nation," and is a popular speaker locally and nationally.

When her recent novel, FIRESIDE, hit #1 on the New York Times, the author reportedly reacted to the news by "putting on my lipstick and sweeping the patio." Why? Because she knew that within a matter of minutes, her girlfriends would show up to pop the bubbly and help her celebrate. [Update: FIRESIDE has been chosen of one of Amazon.com's Top Ten Romances of 2009.]

According to Publishers Weekly, Wiggs writes with "refreshingly honest emotion," and the Salem Statesman Journal adds that she is "one of our best observers of stories of the heart [who] knows how to capture emotion on virtually every page of every book." Booklist characterizes her books as "real and true and unforgettable." She is the recipient of three RITA (sm) awards and four starred reviews from Publishers Weekly for her books. Her books make frequent appearances on Amazon's "best of" lists. Several of her novels have been listed as Indie Next picks and optioned as feature films. Her novels have been translated into more than two dozen languages and have made national bestseller lists, including the USA Today, Washington Post and New York Times lists.

The author is a former teacher, a Harvard graduate, an avid hiker, an amateur photographer, a good skier and terrible golfer, yet her favorite form of exercise is curling up with a good book.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars i loved the setting, but..., April 14, 2009

By 

Gialdini (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Mist and the Magic (Harper Monogram) (Paperback)

The Mist and Magic is a very old school, epic type of romance, with much adventure, daring escapades, thrilling battles, strong emotions, and larger than life characters. It's very different in terms of time and setting as well - Ireland during the persecutions of Cromwell. Caitlin MacBride is an Irish chieftain trying to defend her home, Clonmuir, against the English. John Wesley Hawkins, former priest, cavalier, royalist, thief-taker, and now unwilling agent of Cromwell's, is sent to Ireland to take care of some pesky rebels, known as the Fianna, who are resisting Cromwell's rule. To make sure Wesley cooperates, Cromwell has taken Wesley's daughter hostage. His search for the Fianna leader takes Wesley to Clonmuir, where he's immediately captivated by Caitland, who leads her people with rare strength and integrity. His ensuing dilemma - turn in the woman he loves or sacrifice his daughter - propels the rest of the action of the book.

There are things I liked a lot about The Mist and the Magic, and there were things I didn't like so much. The unusual setting is vividly depicted, and I think the author did a great job capturing some of the feel of the country and people of Ireland. It's a nice change from the usual regency England or medieval fare. Caitlin is a strong heroine who convincingly leads her men into battle and capably manages the responsibilities of being the MacBride. Her antagonism towards Wesley is persistent, but she has many reasons, beyond his nationality, not to trust him, particularly after he betrays her a few times. She does some stupid things, but only because Wesley keeps her in the dark most of the time - one of the things I didn't like about the book. He won't tell her why he's acting for Cromwell, when a little communication wouldn't have hurt anybody. Another quibble would be the sometimes over the top, overly flowery language of magic, enchantment, ancient spirits, and Irish fairies. It obscured the human emotions of the characters and distracted from the story. Despite all the assurances that the love of Caitland and Wesley is some primal, beautiful, awesome, magical connection, I wasn't really convinced. For most of the book she hates him, is pining after another man she met once four years ago but is convinced is the love of her life, or doesn't know the reason behind Wesley's actions. The plot also got carried away in the end. I really, really wanted to like The Mist and the Magic because of the original setting, the action and adventure, and Wesley's desperate attempts to win over Caitland, save his daughter, and protect Clonmuir - but in the end, its flaws outweighed these saving graces.