The Betrayal of Maggie Blair

The Betrayal of Maggie Blair
by Elizabeth Laird

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


What I liked most about this book was that some of the characters, places and events were real. The author is related to a few of the characters, did research on their history, and visited places where they lived.

Growing up in Scotland during 17th century was not easy. Maggie Blair was 16 years old and was convicted of being a witch. Maggie’s mother died during child birth, and her father died in an accident when she was young. Maggie’s grandmother raised her. Her grandmother wasn’t an affectionate person to say the least. You didn’t get much information on Maggie’s grandmothers up bringing but you could tell she had a very hard life. Everyone thought her grandmother was a witch….I guess being a hard, practical woman living off what the land has to offer, being superstitious and believing in / practicing all the old wife tales makes you a witch. Since Maggie’s grandmother was a witch she had to be one too, and was sentenced to be hanged, then burned next to her grandmother. Maggie escapes….with help of friends she travels to her uncles.

At her Uncle’s she is greeted with more turmoil as her Uncle is arrested, and the only person that can help save him is Maggie.

Maggie is betrayed first by her community, then by a family friend, who she thinks of as an uncle. She is faced with trial after trial that would break any ones spirit but Maggie make is through it, and chooses the path that will make her happy.

I am a new reader to historical fiction, which I think this book falls under. At first I thought this book was going to be paranormal in nature, but it isn’t. Also you don’t find out that the author is related to the characters until the end of the story----I would have liked to have known that going into the story. This was an easy read, it was steady paced and I didn’t lose interest in the story.

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