The Inglises Or, How the Way Opened by Margaret M. Robertson is a compelling historical fiction novel set in 19th-century Scotland. The book chronicles the life of the Inglis family, offering a detailed family saga that explores themes of social change and personal development. Through the lens of Scottish heritage, Robertson weaves a narrative that highlights the challenges and triumphs faced by the family as they navigate the shifting social landscape of their time. The story delves into issues of social reform, portraying how these changes impact the characters’ lives and personal growth. As the Inglis family confronts various life challenges, the novel offers an inspirational journey of resilience and transformation. Robertson’s depiction of Scottish society and the historical context provides readers with a rich, immersive experience, illustrating the ways in which individuals and families adapt to and shape the evolving world around them.
Margaret Murray Robertson (22 April 1823 - 14 February 1897) was a Scottish-Canadian teacher and writer. Margaret was born in Stuart field, Scotland, 22 April 1823, the daughter of Reverend James Robertson, Congregational minister. In 1864, she won the Galt Prize essay competition with an essay titled "An Essay on Common School Education." At the age of 42, Margaret left her teaching career to become a full-time writer. Her first novel, Christie Redfern's Troubles, was published in 1866. During her writing career, she had 14 or more novels published up through 1890. Most of the protagonists in her novels were female, and the themes were of home and family. According to a contemporary, Robertson was a brilliant conversationalist, intelligent and highly regarded by her acquaintances. She was neither demonstrative nor emotional. Although, as a teacher, she was devoted to her pupils, she never called a student by a pet name; instead, she looked to the intellect. Correspondingly, her students revered rather than loved her. Except when writing, she knitted constantly - "not fancy knitting, but plain, useful stockings," which she gave to poor boys. In one winter she knitted 96 pairs. To the end she retained a strong modesty about her novels despite their popularity, and she lived so quietly in Montreal that her death and private funeral, in February 1897, nearly passed unnoticed.
