In this well-researched biography of the Scotswoman who helped save the Stuart claimant to the British throne, Fraser (The Washingtons: George and Martha) provides a distinctive portrait that appreciates myths as well as facts. Flora Macdonald (1722–90) is a heroine in Scottish lore for whom there was much romantic conjecture through paintings, song, and literature. Her claim to fame was helping the “Young Pretender” Bonnie Prince Charlie to escape during the 1746 Jacobite uprising. Dressed in women’s clothes and portrayed as her servant, he indeed escaped but lived in exile in France. Macdonald was arrested but avoided long imprisonment and became a mother of seven. In 1774, much of the family moved to North Carolina due to debts. Becoming indigent in the U.S, in part owing to their loyalty to the Crown, she returned to London in 1779 in ill health. Due to a resurgence of her previous fame, the Prince of Wales gave her a pension to live out her days in humble circumstances. VERDICT Fraser consults primary sources, including the Royal Archives of Windsor, to outline the true course of Macdonald’s life. Her personality shines through, which helps the reader to understand her popularity and the artistic sentiment she inspired across generations. A worthwhile contribution for any historical biography collection.