In the modern day, Sara is hired to decipher the journal of Mary Dundas, a young woman living in France in 1732 and the daughter of Jacobite exiles. Sara has Aspergers and finds the work of breaking the cipher to be exactly the kind of isolated work that suits her best. Taking up residence in a home near where Mary lived Sara must decide if she is able to surmount the walls that she has built around herself in order to cope with her disorder. Can she trust what she is feeling? Can she find a way to fit into this family that wants to include her?Mary, raised by her aunt and uncle after her mother dies and her father and brothers follow the court of the exiled King James VIII, is excited when her oldest brother comes for her and takes her to live with him and his family. Her excitement turns to disappointment when she learns that he didn't really want her to live with him but, rather, wanted her to provide cover for a man wanted by the English but with very important information for the exiled king. As the weeks progress, Mary learns that all is not as it appears and that "home" is not necessarily where you think it is.
Since reading Outlander by Diana Gabaldon when it first came out I have been fascinated by Scotland and the Jacobites. This book presents another side of that story - that of the exiles in France and what they went through in trying to further their cause from afar. I was intrigued by the description of Mary's travels in a time when traveling was difficult. And that one of companions made me think of Jamie Fraser (from Outlander) made it all the more fun to read. Sara's story, too, was interesting and not a distraction from the other story.
I enjoyed this book about two strong women who face obstacles, learn from them and move forward.
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