Downloading Rab by Catherine Czerkawska
Jean, in her late forties, John Moir, courtesy of South Ayrshire Council As everyone who knows me, and quite a few people who don’t, will know by now, I’m working on a novel about Robert Burns's wife, Jean Armour. Never heard of her, somebody said to me only the other day. Which is one of the reasons why I’m writing it. Even this fine portrait, which seems to be a reasonably youthful Jean wearing smart clothes - as opposed to the elderly and rather grim faced widow normally depicted - isn't at all well known. Anyway, as usual in mid-project, especially mid historical project, I’m doing a lot of research. Some of it is necessary but some of it is just for fun, meandering down some strange highways and byways of history and occasionally (like last week) coming up with one or two electrifying possibilities about certain – I hesitate to use the words ‘sacred cows’ but they just popped into my head – of Burns lore. Also popping into my head in the early hours of the morni...