Catriona

About the book

Continuing the story begun in Kidnapped, David Balfour tries to act on what he knows about the Appin murder and the people endangered by its prosecution. His intention brings him into a world where influence, official calculation, and competing loyalties complicate an apparently straightforward duty. Catriona Drummond introduces a personal attachment whose difficulties cannot be separated entirely from those political pressures. Stevenson moves from Scottish legal and social encounters to travel abroad, allowing David's earnestness to appear both admirable and insufficient. The narrative gives conversation, misunderstanding, and questions of honour as much importance as physical danger. David must learn that possessing a clear conscience does not guarantee either persuasive speech or good judgment, particularly when another person's obligations differ sharply from his own.

• Conscience
• Political power
• Love and honour

Why read it

For a continuation of David Balfour's adventures that tests his courage through difficult testimony, conversation, and attachment.

English text