A fire in their Hearts, not for the faint hearted!
1662 Ayrshire
Two families lives are intertwined, Violet and her twin brother Hamish are close friends with Samuel and his younger brother Calum. Samuels Father is a minister for the religious group of Coventers, they believe that only God can be at the head of their religion, for this belief they are persecuted by Charles 11, their property can be confiscated and their lives made a misery.
Violet and Charles know by the age of six that they will eventually wed, with the approval of both of their families, it is a happy time with the wedding conducted by Samuel's Father, although the shadow of the Coventers persecution stands over them.
When an old man is attacked for his beliefs by the military, the Coventers form a counter attack, one such battle is at Bothwell Bridge, where over a thousand people are captured and imprisoned at Greyfriars Churchyard. The conditions in the prison are horrendous with no shelter, little food or water and subject to beatings. When the women leave the prison Violet dresses as a man so that she can stay behind with Samuel, Hamish and Callum. As conditions worsen some men get released on signing a document that they will no longer be Coventers.
For the rest of the prisoners a worse fate awaits, they are taken to a port and loaded on a ship bound for the Caribean, the conditions worsen as the overcrowding and sickness are terrible. When the ship hits a storm off the Orkneys it is smashed against rock and the prisoners are either drowned or separated . Violet is recaptured and sent to Barbados to be an indentured servant, she is accompanied by Calum, again little food, backbreaking work and cruelty exist alongside a companionship with the other slaves.
Will Violet survive her treatment and will Samuel live?
I found this a very well described novel, especially the living conditions and battles.
There was no let up to the hardships these people encountered, even the ending was another shattering heartbreak.
Thank you NetGalley, Philip and Black and White for this ARC.

1679, on the 10th December, 257 souls are left to die aboard a floundering ship. The Crown Of London eventually breaks on the rocks amid a terrible storm off Orkney. Those aboard are falsely accused, locked below deck. Escape impossible. Amongst the condemned, Violet and her husband Samual are ready to die in each other's arms...
How did we come to this ? Politics and religious differences to be sure. Samuel and Violet were childhood sweethearts, their families close. Following the persecution and banishment of Samuel's family for their religious beliefs that Jesus, not Charles II is the head of the church, Samuel goes off to fights for what he believes, along with half of Scotland, the other half fight for the king.
As a result of their revolt, Violet and Samuel are imprisoned and banished to Barbados, to work on a plantation.
As their transport ship flounders, Violet is recaptured but there is no sign of Samuel!
Violet now in the Caribbean, suffers unimaginable terrors. Has she lost Samuel forever. Will she even survive the living hell she has been banished to...

Its a human story, it tells of love, endurance and strength. Of standing up to what you think is right even if you have to pay the ultimate price. Not a story I had heard, but that's the wonder of historical fiction...
I adored The Last Witch Of Scotland so I knew I would love this too.
Thank you so very much to netgalley Black & White Publishing and Philip Paris for this gifted copy.

Suse

Historical fiction is my favourite genre, so I was captivated by the description. The prologue really drew me into this story, but unfortunately it is a slow read until the book catches up to where we met the main characters in the prologue. After that, I enjoyed the read and learning about the history of Coventers in Scotland.
Samuel feels like a back character in this novel, whereas Violet goes through major character development in Barbados.  Bittersweet ending that may have some readers feeling disappointed.
Also trigger warning for violence, suicide, and a graphic rape scene for those who may be uncomfortable with such reads.
Overall, I wish the pace would’ve been kept up at the beginning after the prologue, but I think it is well researched highlighting some history that I think isn’t well known. A solid 3.5 for me!Thanks Black & White Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC!