Witch Wood
by John Buchan
Against the religious struggles and civil wars of seventeenth-century Scotland, a fascinating atmospheric story by John Buchanan in the spirit of Stevenson and Neil Munro. As a moderate Presbyterian priest, young David Sempil, like everyone around him, argues with the extremists of his faith, such as the sweeping and slaughter of the defeated remnants of the people of Montrose. However, there are still ancient conflicts that can be encountered, symbolized by the presence of Melanudrigall Wood, the last remnant of the ancient Caledonian forest. There is black magic that needs to be uncovered, but there is also the more positive affinity of nature worship before Christianity. Faced with such an environment and the onset of the plague, David Sempill's struggles and eventual disappearance take on a strange and timeless dimension in what is his favorite among John Buchanan's many novels.
