Jeanie Deans is horrified to learn that her sister, Effie, has been arrested on a charge of child-murder. Effie insists that she is innocent and that her baby was taken from her immediately after his birth. Effie refuses to tell anyone who the father is. The lawyers assure Jeanie that there is a loophole in the law and that if Jeanie will only testify that her sister told her about the pregnancy before the child was born, then Effie cannot be prosecuted under the law. But Jeanie is from a staunchly religious family and she feels that she cannot tell a lie under oath. Effie is condemned to death, and Jeanie undertakes a long and dangerous journey to London to seek a pardon directly from the king.

This book is so brilliant and I loved every page! Sir Walter Scott has such a genius for writing exciting adventures and compelling characters. Certainly, he can be a bit long-winded at times, but that just adds to the flavor of history.

Jeanie Deans is an incredible main character with many complex layers, but her most important trait is how she was brought up to obey godly precepts. She cannot reconcile with her conscience to lie at any time and especially not under oath in a court of law, even if it means saving her sister's life.
I love that Jeanie concocts this plan of going to London all on her own. She is so independent and capable and smart! She has a gentle spirit but with a fierce will of her own. She remains undaunted in the face of obstacles and danger and privations. That steady courage is what gives her a calm wisdom in every circumstance in which she is placed.

One of my favorite things about Sir Walter Scott's works is that he often has poor common people interacting with nobility of very high rank, and those of high rank appreciate the wise simplicity of the commoners and respect their bravery and good sense. One of my favorite scenes is when Jeanie is talking to a Duke and they get to talking about the making of cheese and which breeds of cows have the best milk for cheese-making. This juxtaposition of the high and low has a lovely humor to it, but also illustrates that people of all ranks are the same everywhere, no matter their education or status.

One of the main themes of this book is the pursuit of heroic action and what it means to truly be a hero or heroine. There is a side character who joins a band of ruffians and thieves, because he is craving the danger and heroic action that a sedentary society cannot give him. But Scott proves that heroic action is possible within the confines of the law, even within the confines of a peaceful and sedentary life. Jeanie Deans heroically tries to save her sister from the gallows by undertaking the journey to London alone, and in all the dangers she endures, she responds with heroic action and sacrifice that wins admiration from all who know her. She doesn't need to carry a sword or pistol to be a hero. She wins the battle with her gentleness and determination. The best part of her character is that she is entirely unconscious of her own heroism. She is just doing what she believes to be right, and trusting God for the outcome.

I also loved the themes of family loyalty, national pride, faith in God, and sisterly devotion. This story is full of humor and adventure and intrigue. I got really emotional a few times, and ended up crying at the sad or distressing scenes. Scott has that eloquence in his writing that really tugs at your heart and inspires your soul.