When I was in Edinburgh, I wanted to read something by a Scottish writer set in Scotland. I found a fabulous book store – Topping and Co – and I bought a signed copy of Queen Macbeth.
Here’s the blurb …
Shakespeare fed us the myth of the Macbeths as murderous conspirators. But now Val McDermid drags the truth out of the shadows, exposing the patriarchal prejudices of history. Expect the unexpected . . .
A thousand years ago in an ancient Scottish landscape, a woman is on the run with her three companions – a healer, a weaver and a seer. The men hunting her will kill her – because she is the only one who stands between them and their violent ambition. She is no she is the first queen of Scotland, married to a king called Macbeth.
As the net closes in, we discover a tale of passion, forced marriage, bloody massacre and the harsh realities of medieval Scotland. At the heart of it is one strong, charismatic woman, who survived loss and jeopardy to outwit the endless plotting of a string of ruthless and power-hungry men. Her struggle won her a country. But now it could cost her life.
Macbeth was one of the assigned texts when I studied English Literature at school, I still remember some of my quotes.
Lay on McDuff and damned be he who first cries “Hold! Enough!”
This is not the story that you know, in fact it is set after Shakespeare’s MacBeth (with flashbacks to that time). I enjoyed reading it. There is lots of detail about medieval Scotland – particularly the weaving and the herb lore). The writing is evocative; you feel cold, hungry, scared and angry (at the way women are treated). And I will just add that the ending is unexpected (I don’t want to ruin it for anyone).
A review
