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SARGENTVILLE, MAINE — When Mary Duncan writes,
she isn’t the only one telling the story.
Catriona
Roberston, a “seer” from 18th-century Scotland, is really the narrator of “Eyes of Garnet.” Catriona,
often referred to as just “Cat,” is the main character
of Duncan’s historical novel.
“I feel like
I channel her when I write,” the Sargentville resident related.
“I try to take control, but then I let her have her head and see where it goes…she ties up all the little loose ends that I would have forgotten about.”
“Eyes of Garnet” is a suspenseful tale that centers on the life of
Cat, an 11-year-old girl who grapples with her “second sight”
(the Scottish term for having psychic abilities) and the historical
events that arise around her and her family.
Cat’s
powers are put to the test at the point in the novel when the Jacobite Prince Charles decides to seize his place on the Scottish
throne. She must protect her father and brothers involved in the battles of the Rising of 1745 and — as the back cover
of the book reads — “[finds] herself thrust into the very heart of what she fears the most.”
Cat overcomes her fear and proves that she is a strong character, both
on the page and in terms of leading Duncan to the next line in the plot.
“Cat is a very strong woman, she’s stronger than I am,” said Duncan about her writing process.
“She takes me to the most incredible places that I never thought I’d go.”
The inspiration for “Eyes of Garnet” came while Duncan was researching her husband’s
Scottish genealogy and reading the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. “I was fascinated by the history. Somehow they melded and
I started writing this stuff down,” she said.
Then the character Cat appeared like a vision.
Although
Duncan’s Cat wasn’t drawn from an actual person, several aspects of this book are fact, including the Rising of
1745, the clan Donnachaidh (which means “children of Duncan”) and the backdrop of the novel set around Blair Castle.
“These are true stories; that’s the fun part of historical fiction,” said Duncan.
To
add a creative edge of authenticity to her novel, Duncan even took lessons in Scottish Gaelic so that she could ncorporate
the language into the book. Readers will find the characters’ dialogue embedded with bits of Gaelic and a glossary defining
the terms at the end of the book.
Duncan truly believes in the power of “second sight,” mainly because
of her grandmother, who displayed the characteristics of a spontaneous healer.
“Maybe you could just say
it’s in my family. I think most
people [have the ability of the sight] if they just listen,” she added. “As
for me, I just say, ‘Bring it on.’”
In order to write her novel, Duncan said she spent time researching
at her favorite book-lending institution of all, the Blue Hill library. She also combed the Internet and a Web site called
MassAnswers.org.
“Thank God for the Internet, otherwise I would still be on Book One,” said Duncan.
Soon enough, avid readers of Duncan’s first historical fiction will be able to read book two: “Sightless.”
The novel is a continuation of Cat’s saga, but this time is set locally in the areas of Castine, Brooksville and Cape
Rosier. Duncan said this novel has a lot to do with the Penobscot Indians and the beginnings of the French and Indian War.
In addition to being a writer, Duncan wears many other hats. She is an artist (who once owned a gallery in Blue Hill),
a graphic designer and a florist. She did the cover work for her book and also designed her Web site.
“My
job is to write,” she said.
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