The Vanished Days (Scottish series) by Susanna Kearsley

This had all the elements of excellent story telling. Strong characters, history, family sagas and their personal histories, a story encompassing several generations and community and country. What was there not to like. The period of 1707 but going back to the late 17th century covering the Jacobite revolution, the return of James III. We have a young woman coming forward to claim her entitlement of a widow of a man who went on the ill fated Darien expedition. To assess her claim two men have to check out all the facts but one of them is suspicious of what is put forward, the other falls headlong in love with her. The story starts from there, alternately going back in time to previous times of Lily's birth, and then her young years coming into a family which protected her and then when her only protection was gone, literally threw her to the wolves. The hardships encountered by Lily till her present predicament are very well outlined and told by this author whose research into the turbulent history of Scotland at the time was meticulous. A must for readers who like history, who like a story well told. I've liked very much everyone of Susanna Kearsley's books one of the few authors whose books I have kept back in my declutter as I do so like to go back to them every once in a while. Sent by Sourcebooks Landmark for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.