Holdfast

This richly plotted historical novel has two leading characters: Catriona, an Irish girl orphaned in 1601 during one of the continual wars, and Holdfast, her magnificent wolfhound. Kidnapped by an Englishman, Catriona and her dog are forcibly removed from the wild Irish countryside to the England of Elizabeth I. There they part ways and the story traces their separate adventures.


Catriona’s fate is to become the ward of a titled English family, who seek to train her as a proper English lady. She puts up a lively opposition to their efforts, but events are beyond her control.


Elsewhere Holdfast also struggles to adjust to a new environment, ending up in the hands of a butcher who trains him in bear and bull baiting. In fact, Holdfast’s involvement in this sport leads to the final dramatic scene!