Catriona

Description

Robert Louis Stevenson’s Catriona (1893) — also published as David Balfour — continues the adventures of its hero immediately after the events of Kidnapped. Having survived shipwreck, murder, and the Highland wilderness, David Balfour returns to Edinburgh to seek justice for James Stewart, a man framed for the Appin murder. But in the corrupt and treacherous world of 18th-century Scottish politics, truth is a dangerous commodity.

As David navigates the intrigues of Edinburgh’s legal establishment — facing down the formidable Lord Advocate Prestongrange — he meets and falls in love with Catriona Drummond, the beautiful daughter of a fugitive Highland outlaw. Their romance unfolds against a backdrop of conspiracy, betrayal, and flight across Scotland, Holland, and France. David must choose between his growing love for Catriona and his quest for justice, all while pursued by enemies who would see him silenced.

Stevenson brings the same vivid storytelling and deep understanding of Scottish history that made Kidnapped a classic. The novel is rich with atmosphere — from the closes of Old Edinburgh to the windswept shores of the Bass Rock — and its two lead characters are among Stevenson’s most memorable creations.