Outlaws of Ravenhurst By Sr M. Imelda Wallace

This morning I finished a fabulous book entitled Outlaws of Ravenhurst, not for the first time, nor will it be the last.

Although it is set mainly in 18th century Scotland, its opening scenes are in America. A baby found by the roadside by the parish priest has grown up with the Abells, a hardworking Catholic family. Then one day visitors come, not just any visitors, the boy's relatives, nobles of Scotland come to take the boy back with them to Scotland. He is the heir of the castle Ravenhurst. There he meets his mother and she tells him much, the church is persecuted in Scotland, his father is imprisoned or perhaps dead. No, all is not well in Scotland. The next day he is rather bewildered, his room has changed and his mother is gone. One of the servants assures him it was a dream. Months go past and still his mother does not return. He is told that he will be sent to school and that in time he will become the Earl of Ravenhurst but before any of that he must give up his Catholic faith. His test is to come, so is the greater part of this book, which by the way I highly reccomend.

This book is excellent, speedily read but slowly (if ever) forgotten. The rich backround and exciting story make it a simply wonderful book.