The Last Bear is back!
Added on 10 March 2021
After a very long hibernation, during which my first novel The Last Bear was out of print, it has finally re-emerged, with a beautiful new cover design. It is now available in print, as well as in ebook form. You can get a signed copy from my website shop. Buy your copy here!
The Last Bear is a historical novel, set around a thousand years ago in the north of Scotland. It tells the story of the extinction of the brown bear from Britain, from the point of view of a woman, Brigid, to whom the bear is a sacred animal. It's also a love story. The novel is set at a time when political control of the north of Scotland was officially under the kingdom of Norway. Meanwhile more southerly Scots were seeking power, marrying into powerful Norse families and taking control of northern lands. Amid the tussle between pagan Vikings and Christian Scots, the indigenous pre-Christian culture comes under pressure. Brigid, a shaman, is cast out of her home village and must struggle to survive.
The Last Bear won the Robin Jenkins Literary Award for environmental writing when it was first published by Two Ravens Press in 2008. It is structured according to the old version of the Gaelic Tree Alphabet and treelore is woven into every chapter.
If you have enjoyed my other historical novels, you'll love this one! Treat yourself!