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About the Author

Mhairead MacLeod was born in Scotland and now lives in Australia. She practised as a lawyer before becoming a full-time writer.

Her novel, The False Men, won and was short-listed for, two national manuscript awards before being acquired by ThunderPoint Publishing (UK) in 2017.

The manuscript for her latest historical novel,  A Hospital in the Clouds, won and was short-listed for two national and international screenwriting awards.

Mhairead Macleod headshot

A Hospital In The Clouds

by Mhairead MacLeod

Can Anna Outrun Her Past?

Reinventing herself as a nurse in the tropical frontier of Australia, healing her soldier-lover, raising her unruly daughter – these are just a few of the challenges Anna Sinclair, a young suffragette, faces whilst on the run from the law back in Scotland.

As she struggles to establish her own hospital, her past draws closer and risks exposure of her shameful secret, along with the loss of everything she holds dearest.

“A powerful and perceptive depiction of love in the wake of war and trauma”
– Nadine Davidoff, Freelance Editor

“It had me turning the pages in a frenzy, absolutely captivating!

– Sandra, Indie Book Reviewer

Other Stockists for ‘A Hospital In The Clouds’

UK & Worldwide:

THE FALSE MEN

by Mhairead MacLeod

Outer Hebrides, Scotland, 1848

Jess MacKay has led a privileged life as the daughter of a local landowner, sheltered from the harsher aspects of life. Courted by the eligible Patrick Cooper, the Laird’s new commissioner, Jess’s future is mapped out, until Lachlan Macdonald arrives on her island amid rumours of forced evictions just to the south. As the uncompromising brutality of the Clearances reaches her community and Jess sees her friends ripped from their homes, she must decide where her heart, and her loyalties, truly lie.

Set against the evocative backdrop of the Hebrides and inspired by a true story, The False Men is a compelling tale of love in a turbulent past that resonates with the upheavals of the modern world.

“Mhairead MacLeod passionately and evocatively tells a story of a community split by status, privilege and power, and the personal story of one woman’s courageous struggle to resist social pressure and choose her own path, a struggle which will resonate with readers today.”
– Stornoway Gazette
“The False Men shines a light on the personal stories of those impacted by the violence perpetrated on families by their landlords and neighbours in a period of Scottish history that devastated communities, split families and depopulated huge swathes of the country.”
– The Scotsman

Other Stockists for ‘The False Men’

 UK:

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Worldwide:

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Australia:

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Canada:

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Contact

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Mhairead’s Journal

THE WEIGHT OF SECRETS

THE WEIGHT OF SECRETS

The attraction of the theme of secrecy in a novel perhaps is not just to do with the drama of whether it will be discovered, but more about how it is borne by the character.

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Suffragettes and other Rabble-rousers

Suffragettes and other Rabble-rousers

Emma Miller, suffragist and trade-union organiser, lived in Queensland, Australia, during the time set in my forthcoming novel, A Hospital in the Clouds. My story was inspired by women such as Miller and she is one of the best remembered suffragists of the early...

read more

A Hospital in the Clouds

Reinventing herself as a nurse in the tropical frontier of Australia, healing her soldier-lover, raising her unruly daughter – these are just a few of the challenges Anna Sinclair, a young suffragette, faces whilst on the run from the law back in Scotland.
As she struggles to establish her own hospital, her past draws closer and risks exposure of her shameful secret, along with the loss of everything she holds dearest.

read more
The Outlander Effect

The Outlander Effect

The Outlander craze is real. I think most people understand this refers to the novel and television series created by one of the most successful writers in recent times, Diana Gabaldon. Even before the television series, Gabaldon’s novels were huge sellers. The main...

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Writing the Highland Clearances

Writing the Highland Clearances

When I researched my novel, ‘The False Men’, I found that the ‘voluntary’ removals attributed to famine was often the accepted version, rather than the active resistance by affected groups against their conditions.

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Letter from the Outer Hebrides

Letter from the Outer Hebrides

The following is extracted from my blog published in the travel blogspot: Are my feet in the way? When I was researching for my novel, The False Men, I took a trip back to the Outer Hebrides, Scotland, where my family once lived. The visit began with a ferry ride...

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