The Heart of Midlothian
by Walter Scott
Considered one of Scott's best, this novel begins with the Edinburgh riots of 1736. The public was outraged by the actions of John Porteous, the captain of the Guards; When her life is saved by a distant ruler, they ignore the queen and decide to take revenge on themselves. Closely related to these events is the story of the novel's protagonist, Genie Deans, a peasant girl with a magnificent religious faith. Like the people of Edinburgh, they are refusing to issue a legal verdict in this case against his sister Effie, who was convicted under strict law for killing children. The novel tells the story of Gina's extraordinary determination to save her sister's life. At the heart of both stories, Tolbut, Edinburgh's prohibitive prison, is known to all as Midlothian's Heart.
