CONTENT WARNING : discussions of racism, colonialism and cultural appropriation as it pertains to romance novels. Also loud bagpipe sounds.

This week we're taking a look under the kilt at the dark(?) history behind Scottish romance novels. Do you agree with Jackie- is there something a little off about Scots in romance books? Or is she thinking too deeply about all this...after all, these are *just* fiction books.

Shoutout to Dr. Euan Hague at De Paul University for sitting down with Jackie to talk cultural geography! Make sure to tune into minisode #22 to hear that entire interview!

Raging Romantics Book List!

Questions? Comments? Concerns? Suggestions? Email us at ragingromantics@nopl.org!

Authors/Books we mention

• Dragon Fever by Donna Grant (quote Jackie reads at the beginning)
• Diana Gabaldon
• Jennifer Ashley
• Karen Marie Moning
• Lyndsay Sands
• Maya Banks Highlander series
• Kinley MacGregor MacAllister series

Recommended reads:

• How the Scots Invented the Modern World by Arthur Herman
• A History of Scotland by Neil Oliver
• The Highland Furies: The Black Watch by Victoria Schofield
• Literally ANYTHING by Alistair Moffat but especially Scotland; A History From Earliest Times ; The Highland Clans ; and Scotland's Lost Frontier
• The Lowland Clearances: Scotland's Silent Revolution, 1760 - 1830 by Aitchinson and Cassell
• The Highland Clearances by Eric Richards
• To the Ends of the Earth: Scotland's Global Diaspora, 1750-2010 by TM Devine

Other resources:

• "Why Scottish Romances?" (Somerville Public Library, 2006)
• "Romance Unlaced: Exploring the appeal of Scottish heroes" (Hunter, 2014)
• "'Och Aye': Reading Scottish Romances as an Actual Scottish Person" (Donaldson, 2017)
• "The Fetishization of Scottish Highlanders" (Jane, 2009)
• "Outlander tourism effect a 'double edged sword'" (BBCnews.com, 2020)
• "The Outlander Effect" (Drysdale)
• "From tartan to bagpipes: the story behind Scotland’s brand" (Dickie, 2019)
• "A Professor Studies Scottish Romance" (Wordwenches.com, 2013)
• "Why do Americans love Scotland so much? We visit California's Scotsfestival to find out" (Stephenson, 2020)
• "Romanticism in Literature: Definition and Examples (Somers, 2019)
• "Tartan and the Dress Act of 1746" (Scottish Tartans Authority)
• "Tartan Repeal" (ibid.)
• "Ancient Highland Dress" (ibid.)
• "The Act of Proscription" (ibid.)
• "Mythbusters!" (ibid.)
• "Scots Gaelic language" (Britannica.com)
• Jacobite Rebellion of 1745 (British Heritage)
• "The Scottish Enlightenment and the Romantic Movement" (Rosslyn Chapel)
• "The Aftermath of the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion: How British Reformatory Measures and Chief Complicity Destroyed Clanship in the Scottish Highlands" (Jones, 2021)
• "1746 – Highland Dress Proscription Act" (Scotlans.com)
• "The Act of Proscription, tartan and Gaelic culture" (Sassenach Sticher, 2021)
• "Scottish Enlightenment" (britannica.com)
• "The Seventh Romantic: Robert Burns" (Burch)
• "Gaelic language erosion and revitalization on the Isle of Skye, Scotland" (Smakman, 2008)
• "UNESCO Project: Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger" (UNESCO.org)