Book Review of Hunted and Harried

Hunted and Harried takes place in Scotland in the the late seventeenth century, during the persecution of the Scottish Church by the English Anglicans.

The main characters of our story are Andrew Black, a strong Scotch Covenanter, and a hearty English youth named Will Wallace. But, the heroes of this story are not only the main characters but also the side characters, some of which were actual people who died martyrs for their Kirk.

This book follows Will Wallace, who starts out as a trooper for the English. He is on a mission with several others to the house of Andrew Black. Their mission is to take him prisoner and question him about the conventicles (secret meetings made by the Covenanters to worship.) While on their way the squad stumbles across a fork in the road. They decide to split, and Will gets stuck going with Glendinning their guide. Glendinning is a traitor Scot and a rather repulsive character.

As they ride on two young girls almost walk into them and Glendinning takes them prisoners. When they inquire as to their names they find out that one of them is Jean Black, a beautiful young relative to Andrew Black. After Finding out this much Glendinning tries to harm Jean, but Will, already disgusted at the ill treatment of other Scots, gives his companion a hefty blow, not quite enough to knock him out though. As the two troopers fight the girls make a run for it. In the end Will comes out on top and leaves the senseless Glendinning on the ground.

Later that night Will, now a deserter, seeks refuge in some heather near Andrew Black's house and falls asleep. While the Covenanter is on his way home from a conventicle he nearly walks over Wallace, whom he suspects is a spy. While the trooper, Will, is still asleep Black takes his sword without waking him and places them nearby. Will awakes with the Scot shepherd on his chest. The youth seeing his sword confiscated complies with Black and is taken to his house as prisoner. Upon entering the croft Black orders for a light to be made so he could have a better look at the "spy". When a light is procured Wallace is recognized by the pretty Jean Black, who had already told Andrew about the turncoat trooper that had saved her life earlier that day.

As the plot progresses Andrew and Will become fast friends. As well as having narrow escapes from Glendinning, now a Sargent chasing after them with a vengeance, they also go through several battles with the English. But, in the last battle they take part in Will and Andrew are both captured! Will is sent to a sugar plantation in Barbados and Andrew is kept prisoner in Dunnotar Castle.

Now this is as far as I will go because because I prefer reviews which leave the reader to discover the ending of the story on their own.