Thorn in My Heart (Lowlands of Scotland Series #1) [Paperback]

Liz Curtis Higgs (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 18, 2003

Two brothers fight to claim one father’s blessing.
Two sisters long to claim one man’s heart.

In the autumn of 1788, amid the moors and glens of the Scottish Lowlands, two brothers and two sisters each embark on a painful journey of discovery.

Jamie and Evan McKie both want their father Alec’s flocks and lands, yet only one brother will inherit Glentrool. Leana and Rose McBride both yearn to catch the eye of the same handsome lad, yet only one sister will be his bride.
A thorny love triangle emerges, plagued by lies and deception, jealousy and desire, hidden secrets and broken promises. Brimming with passion and drama, Thorn in My Heart brings the past to vibrant life, revealing spiritual truths that transcend time and penetrate the deepest places of the heart.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Higgs, the bestselling author of 20 inspirational books, successfully tries her hand at her first historical novel, spinning a new version of the biblical story of Jacob to show the costs of deception and the triumph of love despite adversity. The story opens in 1764 Scotland, a month before the birth of Rowena McKie's twin boys. Those readers familiar with the biblical account of Isaac and Rebecca, their twin sons Jacob and Esau, and Jacob's search for a wife will have no trouble discerning how the plot unwinds. Higgs has a good track record with romance novels (Bookends; Mixed Signals), and she handles the love affairs between the younger twin James McKie and sisters Rose and Leana McBride with aplomb. Despite the predictable story line, Higgs keeps a few surprises up her sleeve, including the device of a proxy wedding (which although historically authentic, may be a stretch for some). Christian fiction readers will appreciate many of the moral lessons gently delivered, especially as James discovers that deception is a two-edged sword. The book feels a bit too long, but Higgs's fine writing will satisfy historical fiction aficionados. Although Scottish words are liberally sprinkled throughout the text, their definition through context is usually clear, and a welcome and thorough glossary in the back of the book further aids readers. Higgs incorporates many lovely historical details, and her strong storytelling skills stand her in good stead here.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

?Wise, heart wrenching, and ultimately triumphant. I couldn?t put it down.?
?Francine Rivers, author of Redeeming Love

?Liz Curtis Higgs takes readers on a remarkable journey to the Lowlands of Scotland. A luminous sense of hope shines through this truly wrenching story of characters who are both larger than life and all too human. This unforgettable saga is as multilayered, mysterious, and joyous as love and faith can be.?
?Susan Wiggs, New York Times best-selling author -- Review

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 496 pages
• Publisher: WaterBrook Press; First Edition edition (March 18, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 157856512X
• ISBN-13: 978-1578565122
• Product Dimensions: 5.4 x 1 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (62 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #577,399 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Liz Curtis Higgs has been telling tales since she attempted her first novel--handwritten in a marble notebook--at the tender age of ten. Award-winning careers in radio broadcasting, public speaking, nonfiction writing, and children's books honed Liz's storytelling talents, bringing her back to her first love, storytelling.

She is the author of 28 books, with more than 3 million copies in print, including two contemporary novels, one novella, and six historical novels, among them her latest Scottish saga, Here Burns My Candle and Mine Is the Night, a New York Times bestseller.

Her popular nonfiction books include the Bad Girls of the Bible series of books, workbooks, and DVDs, with more than one million copies in print.

And she has written five books for young children, including perennial favorite, The Pumpkin Patch Parable.

Her children's Parable Series received an ECPA Gold Medallion for Excellence, her nonfiction book Embrace Grace won a Retailers Choice Award, and her novel Whence Came a Prince received a Christy Award for Best Historical Novel. Liz was an award-winning columnist for Today's Christian Woman for a decade. Her articles have also appeared in Faith&Friends (Canada), WomanAlive (Great Britian), and Enhance (Australia). More than 4,500 churches nationwide are using her video Bible study series, Loved by God.

A gifted professional speaker, Liz has presented more than 1,600 inspirational programs for audiences in all fifty United States and fourteen foreign countries. When the National Speakers Association honored her with the Council of Peers Award for Excellence, Liz became one of only 32 women in the world named to their CPAE-Speaker Hall of Fame.

Feature articles about Liz have appeared in more than 250 major newspapers and magazines, as well as on Salon.com, Beliefnet.com, and Spirituality.com. She has been interviewed on more than 600 radio and television stations, including guest appearances on PBS, A&E, MSNBC, NPR, TBN, CBC Canada, BBC Radio Scotland, Rhema Broadcasting New Zealand, Radio Pulpit South Africa, Focus on the Family, Life Today, 100 Huntley Street, Midday Connection, and Janet Parshall's America.

On the personal side, Liz is married to Bill Higgs, Ph.D., who serves as Director of Operations for her speaking and writing office. Liz and Bill enjoy their old Kentucky home, a nineteenth-century farmhouse in Louisville, and are the proud (and relieved) parents of two college grads, Matt and Lilly. Visit Liz's Web site: http://www.LizCurtisHiggs.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It Grabbed Me and Wouldn't Let Go!, October 21, 2003

By 

Daniel Darling "Christian author and speaker" (Chicago area) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Thorn in My Heart (Lowlands of Scotland Series #1) (Paperback)

I have always known Liz Curtis Higgs as a humorist-having heard her on Christian radio a number of times. I had never read anything by her until now and what a fantastic read it was!

Thorn in My Heart absolutely grabbed me and wouldn't let go. This story is so rich and layered with meaning. I understand why it took Liz so wrong to transfer this plot from her heart to ours. Her thorough research of the Old TEstament story as well as 18th Century Scotland makes this book real and believable. And not only is the historical setting accurate-it carries the reader into 18th century Scotland and the hearts and minds of these proud, but God-fearing people.

You will laugh and cry at the characters on this stage. Liz brings out their real attributes every so slowly, not quick to make harsh judgments, but letting time and circumstance reveal them instead.

And if you know the Biblical account, Thorn In My Heart provides more depth to the people you thought you knew. Deceit, when displayed in full color, casts a far blacker shadow. And yet, you're often examining your own heart and asking, "What Would I Have Done?" And the pithy quotes at the beginning of each chapter leave the mind wondering what is to come next.

Thorn In My Heart doesn't shout the message-it allows for their subtle display in the good and bad choices of its human characters. There are no cookie-cutter heroes or villains, only sinners in need of God's redemptive grace.

I salute Liz Curtis Higgs for writing an elegant literary classic that will be talked about for years. Add this book to the stack on your nightstand and you will not be disappointed.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating retelling of Biblical tale, July 1, 2003

By 

Amber (TN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Thorn in My Heart (Lowlands of Scotland Series #1) (Paperback)

This is such a fantastic book! I bought it because I love retellings of Biblical stories and I really enjoyed Liz Curtis Higgs' "Mad Mary" and "Bad Girls" books. It took me a few chapters to get into the book because of the Scottish terms she used, but eventually I saw that they were fairly easy to define just using context. Once I got into it, I could not put the book down. My heart ached so much for Leana, yet she grew into a strong and resolute character. And the chapter-heading quotations are very appropriate. This book is definitely worth a read, even if you're not a Christian or you're not familiar with Higgs' work. If you have read anything else by her, this is practically a must-read & you won't be disappointed!

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Thought-provoking and beautiful!, June 24, 2003

By 

curvynovelsdotinfo "[e-mail]" (Maine, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Thorn in My Heart (Lowlands of Scotland Series #1) (Paperback)

Heroines: varied

On the misty moors of eighteenth century Scotland a family saga unfolds. The highest hope of any daughter born in that day was to marry and marry well. But what is to be done when two sisters each long for the same man? How can happiness be found in such a bitter situation which threatens to drive a wedge between the most loving of sisters, forcing them to act in ways they never expected they could?

Can any man be worthy of such attention?

What worked for me:

I don't usually mention them, but I have to say I was very drawn to the cover of this novel both for its beautiful appearance and lovely feel. This is a quality publication in every sense of the phrase.

Each chapter was headed by highly apt quotes. I found myself referring back to them at the end of each chapter to see just what the author might have been hinting at when she chose those proverbs.

What texture the deftly interwoven archaic Scottish words added to the dialogue! And though the novel was of a heavy note overall, there were several snippets of speech which were quite amusing and lightened things up a bit. (However, as a hearing impaired person I don't think I could have managed the audio book version of this story. The Scottish dialect and words would have skittered off my ears and never even have entered my brain for examination.)

I also greatly appreciated the fact that this novel didn't appear to be whitewashed. There were healthy doses of the old superstitions that even the staunchest Christians of the day were likely to believe in.

Inspirational or otherwise, I'm not a fan of novels where I can feel the author standing on a soapbox with a bullhorn inside the story. However, despite the fact that this plot was plucked straight from the Bible (though altered somewhat to fit its new setting of 18th C. Scotland) with the exception of perhaps two pages out of the entire novel I felt that all the sentiments which came from the characters felt appropriate for them. In other words, I was hearing the characters and not the author.

Size-wise sisters Leana and Rose sounded to be a nicely-rounded average. But there was a real struggle over appearances as Leana was plain and Rose was the village beauty.

What didn't work for me:

For all the fighting done over him, I just wasn't a fan of Jamie. To me he seemed terribly shallow and immature.

I had a good sense of where the story was going but that still didn't alleviate the tension that built up as I cruised along through the novel. And the ending didn't really resolve all of it either because I was left wondering what happened to the other sister.

I've mentioned this in other reviews, but I'll say it again. I am not entirely comfortable with first cousin romances despite their appropriateness to the day and age of the setting. (I don't have anything against folks who have paired off with their cousins, mind you. I just can't see myself doing it is all.)

Overall:
A must-read for fans of Scottish Historical or Christian novels, though one need not be Christian to savor this wonderful story.

Warning: While it is clearly a Christian novel and does not go graphically into detail, the author does not shy from the physical aspects of marriage as they occur in the story.

If you liked "Thorn in My Heart" you might also enjoy "The Red Tent" and "The Bluebird and the Sparrow".