Available Now, from Five Star Press
Macbeth's
Niece
by Peg Herring
ISBN: 13 978-1-59414-650-3
As Macbeth rises and falls in the Scottish highlands,
Tessa is haunted by three witches’ predictions. Torn from her homeland, she struggles
against ruthless outlaws, a dangerous English spy, and the wayward demands of her own heart.
Answers to Macbeth quiz:
Q: Macbeth is a fictional character created by William Shakespeare.
A: False: Macbeth (actually Macbethad) ruled from 1040 to 1057. History proclaims him a
pretty good king, and as far as we know, all his killing was done on the battlefield.
Q: Scotland was a backward country, so Macbeth would not know how civilized people behave.
A: False: Macbeth had dealings with the English court and even traveled to Rome, where he
was noted for his generosity to the poor.
Q: Lady Macbeth would have been much younger than her husband.
A: False: Lady Macbeth had been married to a former king and had an adolescent son when she
and Macbeth married.
Q: Macbeth’s evil nature and vaulting ambition would have shocked friends like Banquo.
A: False: In some versions of the story, Banquo is a willing partner in the murder of Duncan,
and his knowledge of Macbeth’s plan is at least hinted at in the play. Beyond that, kings of
the day never rested easily on their thrones. Scotland’s king was supposed to be the greatest
warrior, so any sign of weakness could lead to overthrow and regicide.
Q: Scotland’s tempestuous political climate provided an opportunity for the much better organized English to march in and put Malcolm on the throne.
A: False: The English were in every bit as much a mess as Scotland. Ruled by Danes for years,
they had only recently begun to think of themselves as a nation at all. They did invade Scotland,
but Macbeth survived the invasion and was later killed in battle with the man we know as Malcolm.
Less than ten years after Macbeth’s defeat and death, England was again conquered, this time by
William of Normandy.
The reason we’re so confused is that Shakespeare, like any good
writer, wanted a story that sizzled more than he wanted historical accuracy. A writer can
either take events and make them into a story or take a story and lay it across an actual
event. Either way, things will have to be stretched to make the author’s scenario work. The
fact is that not much is known about Macbeth’s life. We know he lived and died, but much of
what happened in between is disputed or unclear.
I waded into this mess quite willingly. If Shakespeare stretched
the truth, then so could I. Boldly, I created for Macbeth a brother with a large family. I
wove the story of Tessa, a feisty Scottish lass, into the larger tapestry of Macbeth’s rise
and fall. It was a lot of fun, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Sample Chapters » Prologue
Sample Chapters
Click below to read a few sample chapters from Macbeth's Niece.
