Scottish book of the week

Scotland Her Story: The Nation’s History By The Women Who Lived It, Edited by Rosemary Goring, Birlinn , £20 As 2018 steadily creeps towards an end, there are many lessons to be learned but arguably none more so than one 2018 has starkly reminded us of: women are a force to be reckoned with.

In a year where many industries have been turned on their head by the “Me Too” movement, it is a period that will not be easily forgotten. There are many lessons to be drawn by the latest female movement, just as there are when looking to female figures of the past.

Scotland Her Story does just this, shining the spotlight not only on notorious Scottish leading female figures such as Mary Queen of Scots but on normal, working class women from before 683 AD to the present day. Ultimately, this is a narrative told by women themselves through their letters and first-hand accounts of their involvement in various significant activities and movements. Scotland Her Story is ultimately a testimony of just how far Scotland and its women have come, highlighting, in their own words, how the country has shaped them just as much as they have shaped it.

It is a fascinating read which details the rich, complex history of the country that demonstrates Scotland’s evolution as spurred on by its female counterparts. What proves to be most effective and powerful is how it allows the women to use their own voice with little interference. This provides an alternative narrative to some of the historical events that have not always been heard to the same degree before.

The editor Rosemary Goring comments that this “is an attempt to put women back into the picture” of Scottish history.

It certainly does that. 10/10