Based on a remarkable true story, A NOBLE CUNNING is a debut novel that weaves fact and fiction to create a dynamic history and bring to light a strong, determined woman long in need of recognition. Patricia Bernstein’s fictional heroine, Countess Bethan Glentaggart, is known near and far for a single characteristic: her great beauty. But she will prove that she also has brains, though her complex, highly pragmatic thought processes will remain unknown to all but a few.

"Bernstein’s vivid account...should inspire the sisterhood in all classes and climes to try harder and go farther than they perhaps thought possible in the pursuit of justice and better lives for all."

Bethan and her husband, Gavin, are Catholic and reside in Scotland in the early 1700s in comfort --- but not safety. They and others of their faith are being systematically (through orders of several European rulers) and chaotically (through mob violence) tormented, driven out and sometimes simply murdered as Protestantism takes its foothold. When the couple’s home is assailed by a group seeking to discover a Catholic priest allegedly hiding there, Gavin’s involvement in the Jacobite Rebellion against the newly crowned German king is fortified, and Bethan is forced to realize that their lives are under threat.

When Gavin is arrested, the final ugly truth must be faced as he is locked in the Tower of London awaiting execution. Fortunately for Gavin, Bethan is no ordinary, obedient and fear-ridden female. She begins to show her true colors as she gathers a group of similarly gutsy women around her to attempt the impossible. After braving a massive blizzard to get to London, Bethan sets in motion a bold plot to sneak Gavin out of the Tower so they can escape and survive in a safer place.

Bernstein was drawn to the story of Winifred Maxwell, Countess of Nithsdale, during a visit to Scotland. The rescue planned by Bethan and arrayed in fascinating detail here was, in her words, “unique in the history of the Tower” and merited a fresh, wise and well-structured look. Her chapters open with quotations from Shakespeare, John Donne and other sources relevant to the timeframe. Her grasp of phrasing and setting is especially appreciated, with her description of the intricacies of the clothing of noblewomen like Bethan particularly in focus.

Bernstein’s vivid account --- a mix of action, contemplation and historical underpinning --- should inspire the sisterhood in all classes and climes to try harder and go farther than they perhaps thought possible in the pursuit of justice and better lives for all.