Review: Davy, we hardly knew ye.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 08 7, 2013
Outstanding book of real substance.  The plot line is important only insofar as it carries on its back an excellent contrast between the two major characters: David Lauriston, a young Scottish lawyer of high Presbyterian integrity and a rigid view of himself and his position in his society, and Murdo Balfour, a young Scottish/British lord, who is far more worldly and takes a far more "modern" perspective than Davy.  Both are homosexual in 1820's Scotland when sodomy was a capital crime, but they take a wholly different view of how to deal with their orientation [though the whole concept of "sexual orientation" is a child of the late 1800's].  Davy hates his sexuality and acts on his sexual impulses only rarely and reluctantly and hates himself afterwards.  Murdo has no compunction taking his pleasure with whomever catches his fancy and has no moral qualms about his sexuality.  They are each vehemently and passionately attracted to each other and act on that attraction twice.  Davy has, as his father says late in the book, "chosen a hard road" by being true to his Scottish Presbyterian upbringing and morality, while Murdo has chosen to do whatever he has to to fulfill his needs and survive in his society.  Davy will remain a bachelor because he cannot inflict his sexuality on a woman whom he respects, while Murdo will marry whomever he needs to to get along in his society.  I thought the author's historical research was thorough and excellent and her characters very plausible and three dimensional and interesting.  I bought the book expecting historical romance, maybe a little sex play, all of which was present. But, while it did not have the requisite "happily ever after" ending, still the book felt "right" in its ending because the two characters were true to the natures the author had described for them, to their respective stations in British society and to the times in which they lived.  Excellent book, good character study, good study of the times and society involved.  I give it a strong five stars.