Most of the narrative
action of the three-part novel Secrets of
the Shetlands by Michael
Phillips takes place in the first two books, The
Inheritance and The
Cottage. By the end of the second book, we know that David Tulloch, the
chief of the small island called Whale’s Reef, and Loni Ford, the new American
laird (or lord) of the island, are falling in love. Hardy Tulloch, David’s
cousin and one-time rival for the lairdship before Loni was found, has been
arrested for murder. There’s not much left to tell in the story.
Or is there?
The
Legacy concludes the
three-part novel. I wasn’t quite sure how much of the story was left – a wedding,
perhaps? But Phillips didn’t disappoint. The Legacy is both a continuation of
the contemporary story of David and Loni and almost a novel within a novel –
the story of Loni’s great-grandparents, Brogan Tulloch and Emily Hanson, and how
they met and fell in love in 1924. It also explains how and why Brogan, the
eldest son and the expected next laird, gave up his position, moved to America,
and married Emily. In other words, it explains where Loni came from and how she
ended up inheriting Whale’s Reef.
Are The Legacy
and its two predecessors literary creations or great literature? No. Are they
good stories? Absolutely. Are they addictive? You bet – they are the kinds of
books that makes it almost irritating to have to stop to eat a meal, run an
errand, or talk to other people in the house.
In addition to
telling the story of Loni’s great-grandparents, The Legacy also explores the meaning of faith, the idea of being
centered in faith, why the idea of land is important (the idea, not the land
itself), the transmission of values from generation to generation, and even the
idea of redemption (Hardy Tulloch is a character that is so obnoxious that the
reader almost wishes he can’t be redeemed).
 |
| Michael Phillips |
Phillips is the
author of 23 works of non-fiction. He’s edited 27 works of the Scottish writer George MacDonald,
whose books had such an impact on C.S.
Lewis. He’s edited five
works of Harold Bell Wright and Ralph Connor.
He’s also co-authored 13 novels with his wife Judith Pella, and written more
than 40 original novels on his own.
The Secrets of
the Shetlands is a wonderful series, but be warned – you won’t be satisfied
with a sip here and a sip there. You will want to take great big gulps of this
big story. And now it’s entirely possible to do that, since The Legacy was published July 4 and all
three can be read together.
Related:
Top photograph: A view of Lerwick,
capital of the Shetland Islands, via Shetland.org.
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