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Here Burns My Candle  By  cover art

Here Burns My Candle

By: Liz Curtis Higgs
Narrated by: Liz Curtis Higgs
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Publisher's summary

A mother who cannot face her future.

A daughter who cannot escape her past.

Lady Elisabeth Kerr is a keeper of secrets. A Highlander by birth and a Lowlander by marriage, she honors the auld ways, even as doubts and fears stir deep within her. Her husband, Lord Donald, has secrets of his own, well hidden from the household, yet whispered among the town gossips. His mother, the dowager Lady Marjory, hides gold beneath her floor and guilt inside her heart. Though her two abiding passions are maintaining her place in society and coddling her grown sons, Marjory’s many regrets, buried in Greyfriars Churchyard, continue to plague her.

One by one the Kerr family secrets begin to surface, even as bonny Prince Charlie and his rebel army ride into Edinburgh in September 1745, intent on capturing the crown.

A timeless story of love and betrayal, loss and redemption, flickering against the vivid backdrop of 18th-century Scotland, Here Burns My Candle illumines the dark side of human nature, even as hope, the brightest of tapers, lights the way home.

Includes a bonus PDF with a listener's guide, glossary, and map

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2010 Liz Curtis Higgs (P)2010 Random House

Critic reviews

"Higgs is a stickler for period authenticity and has done her homework on history and dialect. Fans have been waiting five years for this novel and will not be disappointed." (Publishers Weekly)

What listeners say about Here Burns My Candle

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Great Book - Dreadful Narration

This is a classic example of why authors should not attempt to read their own books in an audio genre when there are so many fabulous narrators who would make this book a great audiobook. There are precious few authors who can manage their own narration well and this is one that falls so short of the mark that it virtually destroys an otherwise good book. Her attempts to pronounce old Gaelic words in the midst of an American accent are an insult to both the Gaelic she uses and her own book.

This book of historical fiction is extremely well written with solid research into the time of the Jacobite rebellion and how this plays out in the City of Edinburgh and within a family of diverse characters. The historical side is solid, the character development is brilliant. Why oh why did this author ruin such a story with the wrong narrator? I can only recommend a paper copy of this book to my friends and family.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Liz does it again!

Liz Curtis Higgs is a master storyteller and this novel is no exception. With her solid grasp of history and details, she carefully paints the backdrop of this familiar tale set in 1745 Edinburgh, Scotland. This audible reading is only enhanced with Liz's voice. I worried at first that she wouldn't be able to pull off the Scot accent, but her coaching paid off.
Congratulations to Liz, on another tale well told. My breath is baited for the next installment.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • H.
  • 05-20-11

excellant narrator

Ms Higgs has one of the best narrators voices I have heard yet and I listen to many audio books. She has done a fine job in both the writing and the narration. Thank you Liz

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Not a romance

This book was well read by the author herself. Likely well written too. Very historical. Possibly accurately so. It was NOT a romance. Lots happened but not that you could call any kind of a happily ever after.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

From a Scots lad of 9 and 89 years

The narration was superb! My mother played on the lawn of Hollyrood Palace. Her parents flat on Princes Street. During WW1, she worked in a boot factory making boots for the army. Sadly, the women nurses were issued the same boots as men until the owner asked Isabella Cameron (later to be Isabel and fondly called Belle by all who were close) to put her hand at designing a woman’s boot. It was adopted by the army nurses. For that Mom was honored and given a miniature copy which we had until she fell, broke her hip and spent the rest of her years in a nursing home in Dover, DE. Mom’s father was a baker by trade and the Duke ‘o Blair Uthiel had him travel on hunts to supply all their bakery goods. I recall Hogmanay and first footing. My Dad was treasurer of Clan Cameron 222 in Montclair NJ for 33 years. They also made him treasurer of the Scottish Games of NJ for several years. My brother, Don and I counted the entry fees in a cottage in Port Monmouth, NJ. Many fond memories!
Grant Cameron Hoatson

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Another Winner by Higgs!

What made the experience of listening to Here Burns My Candle the most enjoyable?

I absolutely loved the accent that Liz Curtis Higgs conveyed in the reading of her story. Quality work!

Who was your favorite character and why?

I loved Elizabeth because I feel like she changed the most. She had do deal with some pretty bad things, yet she learned to depend on God.

What does Liz Curtis Higgs bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I'm so glad I got the audio version of this book instead of the ebook version. The way Liz brings this story to life with authentic accents and great voice characterization made this the best audiobook I've listened to this year. I would have never heard the full flavor of the characters in my head like this audio book delivers.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Here Burns My Candle

Very excellent story. Liz Curtis Higgs is one of my favorite authors. I also thoroughly enjoy her as a narrator.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

hard to relate

I don't know if it was the setting or the culture but no bite

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

You are a Blessing

I enjoyed the story taking place in Scotland so much. It was so wonderful to listen to Liz reading and doing some of the characters in the Scottish accent. I love reading about the characters leading to the scriptures and the parallels one of my favorite Biblical stories.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

The story of a story

I love listening to Liz Curtis Higgs. The book seemed too long to me. It took me quite a while to get into it. It became more interesting as it went on. I wished I had an ebook to read along with this Audible. Several times I had to backtrack to be sure I wasn't lost. I do intend on reading the sequel. The book of Ruth in the Bible is short. I know the ending well but I do want to see what the author comes up with that takes so long to tell.

The research that went into this book is highly impressive. If you are a Scottish history buff you will love this book.

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