The Repentants – Fife – Map Monday

Submitted: 11th May 2026

The Repentants – Kate Foster

Where are we going?

Anywhere Kate Foster takes you, you know it’s going to be good – Kate writes books set in places where there have been real historical events, or marked by real events in some way. Then adds characters from history and her own hand, to bring it all to life…………….

Location map of The Repentants

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Location map of The Repentants

The setting:

Inspired by an attempt by Scottish merchants to annex Iceland as a remote prison for the British Empire.

Thousands of women were tried and executed for practising witchcraft in the 16th and 17th century in Scotland. There is a museum in Leven, Fife which was opened in 2024. It covers many witch trials including the one in St Monan’s as evoked in the novel.

Location map of The Repentants

Review

Another great read. The Repentants are three women who each need to…erm, well, repent.
Florrie has to repent after she is caught out cheating on her husband. When she is paying the price and doing her repentance, it’s there she meets Eliza. Eliza is there for breaching the sabbath. These women despite their backgrounds and experience of life form a really strong bond. Florrie takes on Eliza as her and her husband’s maid.

There they form a strong bond. So, when Florrie’s husband decides that the family is to move to Iceland, Florrie insists they take Eliza as their maid. However, that’s where the real story starts and where the secrets start to emerge……………

The 1790s were not a good time to be a woman. So, you would think Florries husband was the one most to fear? Well, not exactly. Iceland throws up some real surprises and the icelandic chills really stung. The location was perfect for the cold and fear as well as the isolation of the book and its themes.