SAWNEY BEANE: The Abduction of Elspeth Cumming

The popular legend of Sawney Beane and his clan of cave-dwelling thieves in 16th century Scotland is the historical backdrop for this novel. The story begins with the young Elspeth Cumming, who while journeying to meet her betrothed, is seized upon by the clan's fearless bandits. Her abductor, Sawney Beane's eldest son, holds her captive in their secret hideaway deep in the caves off of the coast of Galloway. From this point forward, the reader becomes immersed in the story of the young Sawney Beane and his clan of 48 descendants. Elspeth witnesses the horrors of the clan's plundering and murderous way of life firsthand. However, as she comes to know and relate to her captor, Elspeth must face the emotional struggle between loss and her stake in the fate of the Sawney Beane clan.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Frieda Gates is an award winning author/illustrator of children’s books and has written for various periodicals, worked as a magazine editor and art director, and has been a book critic for the Gannet Newspapers. She has taught at Parson’s School of Design, Fashion Institute of Technology, and Rockland Community College, and has mentored students from New York University, Pace University, Empire State, and The College of New Rochelle. Gates has given lectures and workshops and is director of an annual national conference for author/illustrators sponsored by the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI). This is her first adult novel.