Ransom (Garwood novel)

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Ransom
Ransom (Garwood novel).jpg
First edition
Author Julie Garwood
CountryUSA
LanguageEnglish
GenreRomance
Published1999 (Pocket Books)

Ransom, is the second in the series of three historical romance novels by American author Julie Garwood. It was published in 1999 by Pocket Books. [1] It is a New York Times bestselling novel that is based in England and Scotland in the days after the death of Richard the Lionhearted. [1] In her novel, Garwood includes characters who demonstrate the characteristics of passion, loyalty, justice and honor [1]

Contents

Plot summary

In England, during the reign of King Richard I, Gillian, as a young child, is woken up in the middle of the night by her father. Alford the Red, and his soldiers have breached their home, Dunhanshire. Gillian's father sends his daughters with four of his most trusted men to escape the estate with a golden jeweled box that must be kept a secret. In the chaos, Gillian and Christian are separated. Christian escapes but Gillian gets caught and dragged back to the holding. After seizing Dunhanshire and killing Gillian's father, Alford has Gillian banished to her uncle, Morgan Chapman's, estate.

Fourteen years later, Gillian is dragged back to Dunhanshire where she meets a young 5-year-old boy, Alec Maitland. She tries to help him escape but the first attempt fails and they were found and taken back to the estate. Alford tells Gillian that he is sending her on a quest to the Highlands in Scotland to retrieve the jeweled box, called Arianna's treasure which belongs to King John, and her sister who he believes has the box. Gillian leaves the holding once again with Alec in order to save his life.

Once in Scotland, Gillian sends word to Alec's champion, Laird Brodick Buchanan, to request his help in getting Alec returned home safely. Gillian meets with Alec's father, Laird Iain Maitland, and Laird Ramsey who, along with Brodick, demand Gillian to give them the names of the English barons so they can retaliate against them for kidnapping Alec, but Gillian refuses in order to protect her uncle who is being held captive by Alford until Gillian returns to England with the box and her sister.

Gillian, Brodick and Ramsey travel to Ramsey's holding so that Gillian can spot the traitor and find her sister since Ramsey rules over both the Sinclair and MacPherson clans, but her search is unsuccessful. Two MacPherson elder's do locate Christian but she refuses to meet with Gillian. Brodick once again demands Gillian to give him the names of the Englishmen and Gillian decides to give him their names but only after Brodick promises to wait to retaliate until after she has completed her quest.

Gillian finally spots the traitorous Highlander, Ramsey's first commander, Gideon. Ramsey forces Gillian's sister to have a meeting with her where Gillian discovers that Christian does not know where Arianna's box is located. Ramsey and Brodick leave to meet up with Iain and their soldiers to travel to England and get their revenge. Upon hearing this, Gillian immediately packs and heads her own way to England. Gillian has an epiphany about where the box may be located and sends a message to King John that she knows where Arianna's treasure is hidden. [2]

Primary characters

Historical references

Time period

Early in the story, it references to the time period it is in by mentioning the names of the rulers of England at that time. In the first chapter of the novel, it mentions King Richard I, [2] or Richard the Lionhearted. The next chapter explains a jump in time fourteen year later where it then mentions King John rules over England. [2] The novel also mentions King John's dispute with Pope Innocent III over who would be the next Archbishop of Canterbury which occurred in the year 1205 and the interdict that the Pope placed on England which happened to be in the year 1207.[ citation needed ] The uprising of England's barons is also mentioned in the novel when the story notes how the barons in England were feuding amongst one another due to some barons' loyalty and others' disloyalty to King John due to his actions as king. [2] These references are concurrent with England's history around the year 1194 (when King Richard returned to England after being imprisoned in Rome) through 1209 (when the Pope excommunicated King John).[ citation needed ]

Clans

Among others, there are four main Highland clans of Scotland that the novel focuses on. The first is the Maitlands. The second is the Sinclairs. The third clan is the MacPhersons. The fourth and final clan is the Buchanans. Although these are historic Scottish clans, their histories do not correlate with the history within the novel.

Related Research Articles

Battle of Langside Opening battle of the Marian civil war in Scotland

The Battle of Langside was fought on 13 May 1568 between forces loyal to Mary, Queen of Scots, and forces acting in the name of her infant son James VI. Mary’s short period of personal rule ended in 1567 in recrimination, intrigue, and disaster when, after her capture at Carberry Hill, she was forced to abdicate in favour of James VI, her infant son. Mary was imprisoned in Loch Leven Castle, while her Protestant half-brother, James Stewart, Earl of Moray, was appointed Regent on behalf of his nephew. In early May 1568 Mary escaped, heading west to the country of the Hamiltons, high among her remaining supporters, and the safety of Dumbarton Castle with the determination to restore her rights as queen. Mary was defeated and went into exile and captivity in England. The battle can be regarded as the start of the Marian civil war.

Brodick Castle

Brodick Castle is a castle situated outside the port of Brodick on the Isle of Arran, an island in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland. It was previously a seat of the Dukes of Hamilton, but is now owned by the National Trust for Scotland. The castle is a Category A listed building and the grounds are included in the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland.

Clan Shaw Highland Scottish clan

Clan Shaw is a Highland Scottish clan and is a member of the Chattan Confederation.

Clan Lyon Scottish clan

Clan Lyon is a Scottish clan.

Clan Rose Highland Scottish clan

Clan Rose is a Scottish clan of the Scottish Highlands.

Clan Carnegie Lowland Scottish clan

Clan Carnegie is a Lowland Scottish clan

Clan Hamilton Lowland Scottish clan

The Clan Hamilton, or House of Hamilton, is a Lowland Scottish clan.

Clan Maclachlan Highland Scottish clan

Clan Maclachlan, also known as Clan Lachlan, Clann Lachainn (Argyll), and Clann Lachlainn, is a Highland Scottish clan that historically centred on the lands of Strathlachlan on Loch Fyne, Argyll on the west coast of Scotland. The clan claims descent from Lachlan Mor, who lived on Loch Fyne in the 13th century, and who has left his name upon the countryside he once controlled: places such as Strathlachlan, Castle Lachlan and Lachlan Bay. Tradition gives Lachlan Mor a descent from an Irish prince of the O'Neill dynasty, Ánrothán Ua Néill, son of Áed, son of Flaithbertach Ua Néill, King of Ailech and Cenél nEógain, died 1036. Clan Maclachlan has been associated with other clans, such as Clan Lamont, Clan Ewen of Otter, Clan MacNeil of Barra, and the MacSweens: as all claim descent from Anrothan O'Neill who left Ireland for Kintyre in the 11th century. From this descent the clan claims a further descent from the legendary Niall Noigíallach, High King of Ireland, who lived from the mid 4th century to the early 5th century.

Clan Moncreiffe Highland Scottish clan

Clan Moncreiffe is a Highland Scottish clan.

Clan Irvine Scottish clan

Clan Irvine is a Scottish clan.

Clan Scrymgeour Highland Scottish clan

Clan Scrymgeour is a Highland Scottish clan.

Clan Haldane Lowland Scottish clan

Clan Haldane is a Lowland Scottish clan.

Clan Makgill

Clan Makgill is a Lowland Scottish clan.

Clan MacAulay Scottish clan historically seated at Ardincaple Castle, in Scotland

Clan MacAulay, also spelt Macaulay or Macauley is a Scottish clan. The clan was historically centred on the lands of Ardincaple, which are today consumed by the little village of Rhu and burgh of Helensburgh in Argyll and Bute. The MacAulays of Ardincaple were located mainly in the traditional county of Dunbartonshire, which straddles the "Highland Line" between the Scottish Highlands and Lowlands. Clan MacAulay has been considered a "Highland clan" by writers and has been linked by various historians to the original Earls of Lennox and in later times to Clan Gregor. The MacAulays of Ardincaple, like Clan Gregor and several other clans, have traditionally been considered one of the seven clans which make up Siol Alpin. This group of clans were said to have claimed descent from Cináed mac Ailpín, King of the Picts, from whom later kings of Scotland traced their descent. The chiefs of Clan MacAulay were styled Laird of Ardincaple.

Clan Crawford Lowland Scottish clan

Clan Crawford is a lowland Scottish clan of Scandinavian and Anglo-Saxon origin. Since the early 18th century an erroneous belief was held by some historians that the clan had Norman origins, but this belief has been shown to be false and based on spurious comparisons of the arms of Crawford with those of the Earl of Richmond. While historically recognised as a clan by the Court of the Lord Lyon, it is now an armigerous clan as it no longer has a chief. The last chief was Hugh Ronald George Craufurd, who sold his land and moved to Canada in 1904. He died in Calgary in 1942, leaving no male heirs.

Clan Stuart of Bute Highland Scottish clan

Clan Stuart of Bute is a Highland Scottish Clan and is a branch of the larger Clan Stewart.

Clan Forbes Highland Scottish clan

Clan Forbes is a Highland Scottish clan from Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

Stewart of Balquhidder

Stewart of Balquhidder is a Perthshire branch of the Stewart clan and scions of the royal House of Stewart from an illegitimate branch. They are descended from Sir William Stewart of Baldorran, who was the great grandson of Murdoch Stewart, Duke of Albany, executed by King James I of Scotland for treason in 1425. Murdoch Stewart was himself the grandson of King Robert II of Scotland, who founded the Stewart dynasty.

Malcolm Maclean or Maolcaluim mac Giliosa in Scottish Gaelic, was the 3rd Chief of Clan Maclean. Malcolm's name has been written Maol-Calum and Gille-Calum, which means Servant of Columba. He became the Chief of Clan Maclean on the death of his father in 1300. He was succeeded by John Dubh Maclean, 4th Clan Chief, his youngest son, because the law of primogeniture did not apply in Scotland yet. He died around 1320.

William Stuart Stirling-Crawfurd

William Stuart Stirling-Crawfurd (1819-1883) of Milton in Lanarkshire, Scotland, was a prominent racehorse owner.

References

  1. 1 2 3 “Ransom: Synopsis.” Julie Garwood. 2017. 15 Nov 2017. juliegarwood.com/books/ransom/synopsis/.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Garwood, Julie (1999). Ransom. New York: New York. ISBN   978-0671003364.