Your book, The False Men mixes the real events and a fictional narrative very skilfully – did you discover anything in your research that really surprised you and which aspects did you find most difficult to bring to life… It was then I fell for history and historical fiction. I’d spend hours exploring, looking for secret passageways in the thick walls. I grew up in a magical house in Scotland. All I can remember is that it was about a golden eagle, and I was more surprised than proud! I didn’t keep a copy, sure it wouldn’t win. When I was eleven I won a national essay competition.

What is your first memory of a piece of writing that made you feel proud? How old were you and do you still have it? I was delighted to be invited to do a Q & A as it was great to be able to go ‘behind the scenes’ with Mhairead and see what was behind the creative process in writing this historical novel with strong connections to real events. I’d like to thank Kelly Lacey at #LoveBooksGroupTours for inviting me on the tour and to Mhairead for her detailed and really fascinating replies to my questionsĪs a Scottish blogger with a Scottish History teacher for a husband, I was intrigued to see the way that the Highland Clearances would be portrayed and how this dreadful time in history would be portrayed. It’s fantastic to be participating in the blog tour for The False Men by Mhairead MacLeod. Set against the evocative backdrop of the Hebrides and inspired by a true story, The False Men is a compelling tale of love in a turbulent past that resonates with the upheavals of the modern world.” Courted by the eligible Patrick Cooper, the Laird’s new commissioner, Jess’s future is mapped out, until Lachlan Macdonald arrives on North Uist, amid rumours of forced evictions on islands just to the south.Īs the uncompromising brutality of the Clearances reaches the islands, and Jess sees her friends ripped from their homes, she must decide where her heart, and her loyalties, truly lie.

Jess MacKay has led a privileged life as the daughter of a local landowner, sheltered from the harsher aspects of life.