The girl on the cliffs
The Girl on the Cliffs is a novel by John MacKay . The book is about an adolescent woman who is raped and the resulting child who throws her off the cliff. This novel was first published in German in December 2004 in Munich by Goldmann Verlag . The book for young people belongs to the genre of fiction . John MacKay's inspirations for writing the book came from childhood stories. "The Girl on the Cliffs" was John MacKay's debut book. It was translated into German by Anke Knefel.
action
Eighteen-year-old Kirsty MacLeod secretly dreams of leaving her home in the Hebrides to start a new and better life in America . Through her lover Murdo, she draws hope to make her dream come true. However, when the First World War broke out, Murdo and eight other men were drafted into the army to defend their homeland. A street festival is organized to offer the men a honorable farewell.
When Kirsty is walking on the cliffs during the festival, she is attacked from behind and brutally raped. She does not tell anyone about the subsequent pregnancy in order to preserve her good reputation on the island. Kirsty withdraws so much that even her family does not notice her pregnancy.
When the news arrives with the message that Murdo died in the war, Kirsty not only loses her lover, but also her long-awaited dream of a better life in America. Kirsty sinks so deeply in her grief that she forgets to hide her round belly and the mother learns of her secret pregnancy. She then gives birth to a boy. So that the child does not get used to the mother, it is torn from her, but in the early morning Kirsty sneaks out of the house with her son and throws him down the cliff. The storm that raged that morning washed ashore the corpse that the fisherman skipper discovered. He reports the incident to the police.
After examining the body, it is found that the child was not a miscarriage, but was murdered. The police get the information from the doctor that Kirsty was raped some time ago. An examination of Kirstys is supposed to prove the supposed pregnancy, but since the doctor feels sorry for her, he hides the pregnancy from the police. They don't trust the doctor and have a doctor brought in from town to confirm the other's results - but only because he examined her twin sister Annie rather than Kirsty. So the case remains unresolved.
By the smell and the voice, she recognizes her rapist, who turns out to be the doctor. He kills himself out of guilt, and yet Kirsty cannot forgive him for all of her life.
Main character
Kirsty MacLoed is an 18-year-old woman, beautiful and dreamy. She lives with her family on an island in the Hebrides. However, she doesn't want to stay there all her life. She dreams of a better life in America. With her lover, Murdo, it is possible for her to realize her dreams. The death of Murdo, as well as the rape with the subsequent pregnancy let her dreams burst and change her life in a drastic way.
Minor characters
Murdo Morrison: Murdo Morrison, also known as Murdo Book because of his great passion for books, is a handsome young man with Kirsty as his lover by his side. He would like to move to America with her. He is a loner and tends to meet old men rather than men of the same age in order to acquire more knowledge through them. When he is sent to war, he dies.
Iain Ban: Iain Ban is Kirsty's friend, but he wants to be more than just a friend to her. He wishes to live with her and many children in his house on the island, but Kirsty does not reply. He then voluntarily moves into the army, where he dies.
Annie: Annie MacLeod is Kirsty's twin sister. She wants a life on the island with many children. She is very helpful and self-sacrificing. To protect her sister, she pretends to be Kirsty during the medical exam. This has a huge impact on her future life. When a flu epidemic breaks out, she dies and cannot grant her wish.
Mary Horseshoe: Mary Horseshoe is the so-called dregs of the island because she gave birth to a child out of wedlock. She is mocked by the people. However, it is not known whether she wanted the child or whether it was forced upon her as with Kirsty.
Miss Peggy: Miss Peggy provides entertainment on the island with stories and rumors. But not everything that comes out of her mouth is true, and yet she is mostly believed. Your words can badly affect other families' affairs.
Dr. MacLean: Dr. MacLean is an alcoholic doctor who has a bad relationship with his wife. At the street party, he rapes young Kirsty. Years later, when she asked him about his act, the doctor took his own life in his house.
expenditure
- John MacKay: The girl on the cliffs. Translated from the English by Anke Knefel. Goldmann, Munich 2004, ISBN 3-442-45694-0 .