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Stonewycke Trilogy #1-3
The Stonewycke Trilogy
Let Michael Phillips and Judith Pella Transport You to a Time of Romance and Danger
The fascinating world of nineteenth-century Scotland will become your home-away-from-home when you enter The Stonewycke Trilogy. This special value-edition book contains three novels ( Heather Hills of Stonewycke, Flight From Stonewycke, and Lady of Stonewycke) under one cover. Combining all the excitement and romance you'd expect from lavish historical fiction, with the strong spiritual message characteristic of authors Phillips and Pella, the trilogy will sweep you across generations and open doors to a world you will never forget.
The story at the heart of The Stonewycke Trilogy has lost none of its romantic and exciting edge. A sweeping saga of three generations in the lives of an aristocratic Scottish family, the trilogy revolves around Margaret Duncan and the rest of her clan. Though only seventeen, Margaret feels the distance between her parents is increasing and that she is becoming alienated from her beloved father. Into this tense family circumstance arrives Ian, a spoiled distant cousin who gains a good influence among the believers living in this idyllic Scottish community.
Woven around the touching family drama are all the trappings of great fiction. A secret excavation, an evil conspiracy, an unannounced wedding, and an unsolved murder are all part of this epic trilogy written by a talented and beloved writing team.
The fascinating world of nineteenth-century Scotland will become your home-away-from-home when you enter The Stonewycke Trilogy. This special value-edition book contains three novels ( Heather Hills of Stonewycke, Flight From Stonewycke, and Lady of Stonewycke) under one cover. Combining all the excitement and romance you'd expect from lavish historical fiction, with the strong spiritual message characteristic of authors Phillips and Pella, the trilogy will sweep you across generations and open doors to a world you will never forget.
The story at the heart of The Stonewycke Trilogy has lost none of its romantic and exciting edge. A sweeping saga of three generations in the lives of an aristocratic Scottish family, the trilogy revolves around Margaret Duncan and the rest of her clan. Though only seventeen, Margaret feels the distance between her parents is increasing and that she is becoming alienated from her beloved father. Into this tense family circumstance arrives Ian, a spoiled distant cousin who gains a good influence among the believers living in this idyllic Scottish community.
Woven around the touching family drama are all the trappings of great fiction. A secret excavation, an evil conspiracy, an unannounced wedding, and an unsolved murder are all part of this epic trilogy written by a talented and beloved writing team.
640 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1986
10 people are currently reading
480 people want to read
About the author
Michael R. Phillips
250 books609 followersLibrarian Note: there is more than one author with this name in the Goodreads database.
Michael Phillips has been writing in the Christian marketplace for 30 years. All told, he has written, co-written, and edited some 110 books. Phillips and his wife live in the U.S., and make their second home in Scotland.
Michael Phillips has been writing in the Christian marketplace for 30 years. All told, he has written, co-written, and edited some 110 books. Phillips and his wife live in the U.S., and make their second home in Scotland.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
July 16, 2008
Not the type of book I would normally pick out to read, but it was recommended to me by a friend who insisted the series is one of her favorites of all times. Turns out, she was right! I couldn't put it down and completely neglected my house...especially as the last book was coming to an end. I've now picked up the next set of three books in the series to finish it out.
June 19, 2009
Absolutely great reading. A wonderful story, terrific characters and deep faith make these a must read. If you are not into Scotland, you will be after you read these. I read them in the 1980's when they first came out.
August 5, 2011
Set in Scotland the series follows the lives of one family over several generations, ending in modern times. LOVED all of them and made me want to visit Scotland, which I did 2 years ago!
August 13, 2024
This book was a ride for me.
There were parts that made me tear up, and then parts that made me mad enough at the story that I stopped reading it for a couple days and then picked it up again because I wanted to continue it anyway and find out what was going to happen next.
Was it perfect? No. But I really enjoyed reading it.
There were parts that made me tear up, and then parts that made me mad enough at the story that I stopped reading it for a couple days and then picked it up again because I wanted to continue it anyway and find out what was going to happen next.
Was it perfect? No. But I really enjoyed reading it.
December 29, 2011
One of the best Christian fiction books I've read, and I've read a lot. Add to that, it was based in Scotland, home of my ancestors. Having visited Scotland, I will read most everything about it I can get my hands on. The story line is poignant and heartbreaking at times, but a wonderful read. Highly recommend it. I'll be re-reading it later.
May 23, 2020
Why I Read the Book: I'd been remembering some portions of a book that I read in my teens. I narrowed it down to 2 series by Michael Phillips, and thought this was it. (Either it wasn't this series, or it's in the sequel trilogy.)
Format: Paperback, borrowed from my Mom.
Synopsis: The Stonewycke Trilogy blends the categories of historical fiction, Christian romance, and mystery. The historical aspect is pretty light - it mostly sets up the story. From beginning to end the main point of conflict between the various characters is whether to sell Stonewycke and its land for wealth and political power, or keep the land and support the tenants and people of the nearby town with its resources. Despite the conflicts of their parents, two young people fall in love; but can they overcome the obstacles of their own deep-seated bitterness, strained family relationships and a conniving father focused more on his own financial gain and social status than his family?
What I thought: When I outgrew young adult chapter books, Michael Phillips was one of the first authors my Mom allowed me to read from her Christian Fiction bookcase. Rereading Stonewycke more than a decade later has been an interesting experience. When I first read the series, I think I breezed through the spiritual conversations, being more interested in the romance. Now I'm less interested in the romance, and more interested in whether I agree with the way Phillips and Pella present Christianity.
The Christian aspect of the books seems to be influenced by aspects of Arminianism as well as the teachings of Charles Finney. Given that the series was written in the late 1980s, it's not unexpected, and accurately reflects the Christian terminology and concepts that I grew up with. Despite no longer agreeing with those specific teachings, I still enjoyed Stonewycke overall.
The first book (The Heather Hills of Stonewycke) was good. I enjoyed it just as much as all the other times I had read it. The plot moves along well, and I kept wanting to read 'just one more page.' The characters and scenes are vividly described, and I have no trouble imagining them.
The second book, (Flight From Stonewycke) doesn't really go anywhere. I think I hadn't noticed before because in my teens I would read for hours, getting through a trilogy like this in under a week. Now that I don't have time to read for hours on end, I'm more likely to notice slow plots. If I were reading and rating the books individually, I'd probably give Flight From Stonewycke 2 or 3 stars. It has very little romance, focuses on filling in blanks from the first book, and tries to emphasize the spiritual journeys of several characters.
In the third book, The Lady of Stonewycke, all the loose ends get tied up. It didn't read as smoothly though, as if connecting all the loose ends, introducing new main characters, and following their spiritual journeys was a bit too much for one book. There were a few spots where the plot dragged a bit. As in the first book, the characters and places were vividly describes. Despite my criticism, I really like the ending - it appeals to the romantic in me.
The Bottom Line: The Stonewycke Trilogy is what I consider a 'fluff' read. It has a bit more depth (and is far cleaner) than the average secular romance novel. I like this genre of book for when I'm tired and can't really focus on more complicated, technical, serious, or theological books.
I would recommend Stonewycke to anyone who enjoys romantic historical fiction, with more emphasis on the romance than history.
Format: Paperback, borrowed from my Mom.
Synopsis: The Stonewycke Trilogy blends the categories of historical fiction, Christian romance, and mystery. The historical aspect is pretty light - it mostly sets up the story. From beginning to end the main point of conflict between the various characters is whether to sell Stonewycke and its land for wealth and political power, or keep the land and support the tenants and people of the nearby town with its resources. Despite the conflicts of their parents, two young people fall in love; but can they overcome the obstacles of their own deep-seated bitterness, strained family relationships and a conniving father focused more on his own financial gain and social status than his family?
What I thought: When I outgrew young adult chapter books, Michael Phillips was one of the first authors my Mom allowed me to read from her Christian Fiction bookcase. Rereading Stonewycke more than a decade later has been an interesting experience. When I first read the series, I think I breezed through the spiritual conversations, being more interested in the romance. Now I'm less interested in the romance, and more interested in whether I agree with the way Phillips and Pella present Christianity.
The Christian aspect of the books seems to be influenced by aspects of Arminianism as well as the teachings of Charles Finney. Given that the series was written in the late 1980s, it's not unexpected, and accurately reflects the Christian terminology and concepts that I grew up with. Despite no longer agreeing with those specific teachings, I still enjoyed Stonewycke overall.
The first book (The Heather Hills of Stonewycke) was good. I enjoyed it just as much as all the other times I had read it. The plot moves along well, and I kept wanting to read 'just one more page.' The characters and scenes are vividly described, and I have no trouble imagining them.
The second book, (Flight From Stonewycke) doesn't really go anywhere. I think I hadn't noticed before because in my teens I would read for hours, getting through a trilogy like this in under a week. Now that I don't have time to read for hours on end, I'm more likely to notice slow plots. If I were reading and rating the books individually, I'd probably give Flight From Stonewycke 2 or 3 stars. It has very little romance, focuses on filling in blanks from the first book, and tries to emphasize the spiritual journeys of several characters.
In the third book, The Lady of Stonewycke, all the loose ends get tied up. It didn't read as smoothly though, as if connecting all the loose ends, introducing new main characters, and following their spiritual journeys was a bit too much for one book. There were a few spots where the plot dragged a bit. As in the first book, the characters and places were vividly describes. Despite my criticism, I really like the ending - it appeals to the romantic in me.
The Bottom Line: The Stonewycke Trilogy is what I consider a 'fluff' read. It has a bit more depth (and is far cleaner) than the average secular romance novel. I like this genre of book for when I'm tired and can't really focus on more complicated, technical, serious, or theological books.
I would recommend Stonewycke to anyone who enjoys romantic historical fiction, with more emphasis on the romance than history.
November 13, 2017
The setting of Scotland and the theme of God working all for good even when we don't understand, are strongly drawn throughout this series. But minor characters are more vivid than Maggie and Ian who are the uniting thread. Ian's temperment/ personality/ madness is strangely handled, and I aside from her life events, I don't feel we *KNOW* Maggie.
The overall arc of the story is interesting, but there are annoying weak links (a person wouldn't do that, people don't talk that way, it's inconsistent with the character, actions don't make sense). As a concrete example, Joanna's trip to Scotland is bizarre. Yet, once the story moves beyond these weak links, it progresses in interesting ways (well, if someone found themselves in that position....).
While there is nothing BAD here beyond tedious "preachy-ness," incoherent plotting and poor character development, there is not enough good to be compellingly good, and I'm at a stage in life where I am attempting to brutally reduce the number of books I retain. There MUST be better titles for our young readers.
The moments of brilliance explain why I kept the books for several decades, but the gaps explain why this reading is a swan song. Perhaps if I had a voraciously reading daughter, this would be a good series to expose her to, but in the absence of such a young reader in my home, I will pass them on to another. Yet even as I contemplate such a step, I cannot deny there is a certain nostalgic sorrow over saying goodbye to a book that formed my young mind and delighted me with images of Scotland.
Book 1 Review
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
There's more:
The Stonewycke Legacy, Phillips & Pella, 1987
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
RECOMMENDED for young and older:
Anne of Green Gables, Montgomery, 1908
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Little Women, Alcott, 1868
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Vienne Prelude (Zion Covenant #1), Thoene, 1989
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
SIMILIAR THEMES, Masterful writing in a medieval setting minus the preachy factor (and not for kids):
The Heaven Tree Trilogy, Pargeter, 1960
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The overall arc of the story is interesting, but there are annoying weak links (a person wouldn't do that, people don't talk that way, it's inconsistent with the character, actions don't make sense). As a concrete example, Joanna's trip to Scotland is bizarre. Yet, once the story moves beyond these weak links, it progresses in interesting ways (well, if someone found themselves in that position....).
While there is nothing BAD here beyond tedious "preachy-ness," incoherent plotting and poor character development, there is not enough good to be compellingly good, and I'm at a stage in life where I am attempting to brutally reduce the number of books I retain. There MUST be better titles for our young readers.
The moments of brilliance explain why I kept the books for several decades, but the gaps explain why this reading is a swan song. Perhaps if I had a voraciously reading daughter, this would be a good series to expose her to, but in the absence of such a young reader in my home, I will pass them on to another. Yet even as I contemplate such a step, I cannot deny there is a certain nostalgic sorrow over saying goodbye to a book that formed my young mind and delighted me with images of Scotland.
Book 1 Review
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
There's more:
The Stonewycke Legacy, Phillips & Pella, 1987
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
RECOMMENDED for young and older:
Anne of Green Gables, Montgomery, 1908
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Little Women, Alcott, 1868
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Vienne Prelude (Zion Covenant #1), Thoene, 1989
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
SIMILIAR THEMES, Masterful writing in a medieval setting minus the preachy factor (and not for kids):
The Heaven Tree Trilogy, Pargeter, 1960
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
August 21, 2012
This trilogy spanned three generations of the aristocratic Duncan and Ramsay families beginning and ending at the scenic wild Stonewycke House. The heroine also lives out the major part of her life away from her birthplace in colonial America.
The books are well written, exciting in parts, rather drawn out in others. The authors have imbued the storyline with their own Christian philosophies. The ethical content sometimes becomes a mantra and the reader can feel rather pressured to agree with the tightly held views of the authors and their principal characters. This type of writing makes characterization difficult as characters are often painted strongly black or white. However I did feel empathy towards the suffering of the main character Maggie who was struggling for her rights in what was still very much a man’s world.
This set of books would be a good fictional addition to a High School or Church library.
Carinya
The books are well written, exciting in parts, rather drawn out in others. The authors have imbued the storyline with their own Christian philosophies. The ethical content sometimes becomes a mantra and the reader can feel rather pressured to agree with the tightly held views of the authors and their principal characters. This type of writing makes characterization difficult as characters are often painted strongly black or white. However I did feel empathy towards the suffering of the main character Maggie who was struggling for her rights in what was still very much a man’s world.
This set of books would be a good fictional addition to a High School or Church library.
Carinya
July 31, 2016
I really liked this series.(Most of the time) Sometimes It was a bit of a love hate relationship. There was one point when I felt like throwing the book out the window. It was just so crazy! Everything that could go wrong would go wrong. Nevertheless, I loved it. Its not a series I'll forget. (for ages anyway) I'd definitely recommend it. But read it when you have heaps of time. Just when you think you're finished you realize its only just begun! Its gripping, exciting, sad, and happy. I love all the history and its been cleverly written with all the different twists and turns. Lots of the stories I read are fairly predictable but this story definitely isn't!
May 29, 2014
Lovely historical fiction supposedly written in the same style as George MacDonald's book but definitely not quite as deep or well written. Still an enjoyable read. If you like this type I book, I heartily recommend you read any George MacDonald books you can get your hands on.
The first book in this series was great - very nice character development. I did not like the second or third book as well as I felt the authors skipped too much information, forgot about tying up loose ends etc. The end of the third book wrapped most things back in nicely however it felt too rushed with not enough time spent on the real main characters. But overall, a quick and enjoyable read.
The first book in this series was great - very nice character development. I did not like the second or third book as well as I felt the authors skipped too much information, forgot about tying up loose ends etc. The end of the third book wrapped most things back in nicely however it felt too rushed with not enough time spent on the real main characters. But overall, a quick and enjoyable read.
August 7, 2011
I love Michael Phillips' books. They all contain such a spiritual element to them and brings scripture to light in such a revealing way. This series was no exception. I loved reading about the land of Scotland.
May 6, 2013
I enjoyed this book. It was very engaging and I could not guess what was going to happen next. So many twists and turns. Although it is a christian book with too many christianisms as I call it. I could do with out so much of them.
February 24, 2008
I couldn't even finish it because it moved WAY too slow for my taste.
February 22, 2009
I loved this book - I enjoy historical sagas - and this one is just a feel good book. Nothing earth shattering, just a good read.
May 28, 2008
This was a hard book for me to start, but once I got into the story it was a fast read. By the third book I flew through the exciting story.
October 18, 2008
I am currently reading it. It is a story of a Scottish family. Characters drive the plot. Description is well done, but sometimes becomes tedious.
January 30, 2011
Really liked this.
February 4, 2012
First moved to PA from Fla. needed a good read. My mother in law gave me this and I couldn't put it down.
February 29, 2012
Too much preaching and had to wade through the dialogue and misspelled words while in Scotland. However, the stories were intriguing enough that I had to finish this series.
April 28, 2012
the best book i ever read
June 27, 2012
I can't put it down!!!
October 10, 2012
This Trilogy is an absolute must read, I read it years ago and I still mark it as my favorite reads!
October 31, 2012
One of my granmothers favorites and I loved it.
April 30, 2013
My dad gave me this trilogy as a teenager and I remember not being able to put it down. Loved the surprising twists and turns.
August 20, 2013
Definitely my favorite book ever !!!!
February 20, 2014
Michael Phillips and Judith Pella wrote a masterpiece of historical fiction set in Scotland. The series is a family saga that tells of the triumph of love and overcoming faith.
June 4, 2015
I love historical fiction especially ones set in Scotland. Michael Phillips is my go-to for easy reading.
January 2, 2016
Great series. Loved reading them
August 23, 2016
This book took me into old time Scotland like no other book has! The characters are beautiful, and the storyline and suspense are perfect. Very well done.
December 31, 2017
easy read, entertaining, tho somewhat predictable. enjoyed reading about Scotland and the historical references
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews