• Age: 9 to 12
• Grade: 4 to 8

Thirteen-year-old Iain Robertson is homesick for the Highlands of Scotland. It’s September 1773, and he has just arrived in Nova Scotia with his parents and little sister after the long, disastrous, Atlantic voyage of the ship Hector. They wanted a new life in New Scotland—but the land agent lied to them. With no money, no food, no shelter, and winter fast approaching, how will they survive? Author Margaret MacKay of Pictou County, Nova Scotia, draws on the experiences of her ancestors to weave a tale of the first Gaels to settle in Nova Scotia. Suitable for Grades 4 and up, and historical fiction lovers of all ages.

Margaret MacKay is a retired teacher living in rural Pictou County, Nova Scotia. Her many creative interests include fiber arts, painting, gardening and photography. Her passion for sharing local history has led her to write magazine articles and to weave this tale drawing on the experiences of her Highland ancestors.

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“This is a wonderfully vivid story, rich with characters from the Gaelic settlers to the local indigenous people, the Mi’kmaq. The tale is constructed from a network of fascinating details that lead you from page to page as you begin to explore the terrifying countryside of huge trees and dangerous animals with Iain and his family, finding out exactly what life was like on the coast of Nova Scotia in 1773 for a family carving a living out of the wilderness… A wonderful, absorbing adventure, from smoked clams to piping on the beach of a promised land!” —Diana Gabaldon, author of the Outlander series

“[T]he strength and spirit of these families shines brightly throughout this book, which celebrates not only the beginning of their new lives but also all that they brought with them to this new land: their music, Gaelic language and Celtic traditions.” —Lisa Doucet, co-manager of Woozles Children’s Bookstore, in Atlantic Books Today