Such a beautifully written historical novel. The language is transporting and the plot just intricate enough to keep you engaged without being simply a "page-turner". Miller has written a rich story about a man--John Lacroix--who loses his spiritual way after his tour as a soldier in the Napoleonic wars. He finds refuge by fleeing to the Hebrides and after encountering an array of fabulous characters settles uneasily in with a very strange family, two sisters and a brother. Their lives are like a concentrated dose of nineteenth-century cultural history complete with collecting folk songs and amateur archaeology while belonging to a utopian group.
Meanwhile, John is being pursued by two utterly arresting characters, one detestable, who mean to visit justice on John for war crimes he may or may not have committed.
The book is a journey of a soul, an anti-war fable, a love story, and so much more. Brilliant.