The real Mary Mackenzie please stand!

In my new historical novel, The Seaforth Heiress: Lady of the Last Prophecy, I uncover the largely untold story of Mary Elizabeth Frederica Mackenzie who was destined to become the only female chief of Clan Mackenzie.

Mary Elizabeth Frederica Mackenzie was born in 1783 in Ross-Shire, Scottish Highlands. In the year of her birth, her father Lord Seaforth became the last male heir of the Earls of Seaforth and, therefore, the next chief of Clan Mackenzie. But the family of Lord Seaforth lives under the shadow of a dark prophecy. Over a century ago, Coinneach Odhar, known as the Brahan Seer, foresaw the demise of the Seaforth line. There is little doubt among Scottish Highlanders that the end of the dynasty is drawing near.

One historian I came across in my research called Mary “the first feminist.” True or not, her adventurous nature combined with the mysterious circumstances of her family’s demise convinced me that Mary, the only female ever to assume the mantle of Clan Mackenzie chief, would make a marvelous heroine for a multi-setting, Regency-era historical novel. My telling of Mary’s story begins in the British colony of Barbados, where Lord Seaforth has been appointed governor by the Crown. Witnessing first-hand the evils of island slavery makes a lasting impression on Mary, as do her later travels throughout British-colonial India. Delving into her personal diary and letters, I was able to get a good sense of who she really was, how she viewed the world, and what effect the famous Brahan Seer’s prophecy concerning the fall of the Seaforth line had upon her personally. I tried to imagine what it must have been like for Mary to dwell in the shadow of the Seer’s curse and yet go about her life as if the day of reckoning would never come. I loved every minute spent researching Mary’s life. I hope you will enjoy her story.