History Literature / TheMarthaYears

The four books, written by Melissa Wiley, are ''Little House in the Highlands,'' ''The Far Side of the Loch'', ''Down to the Bonny Glen'', and ''Beyond the Heather Hills'', chronicle Martha's life from age six to age eleven growing up in late 18th Century Scotland as a laird's daughter. [[note]] A laird was the owner of a large, long-established Scottish estate, ranking between a Baron and gentleman in Scotland and roughly equivalent to an esquire in England. [[/note]]

* ParentsAsPeople: Martha's mother initially thinks Martha's overreacting when she claims her governess, Miss Norrie, doesn't like her. She changes her mind when Miss Norrie, scolding Martha for misbehavior, calls Martha "wicked"[[labelnote:*]]Mum agrees that Martha acted thoughtlessly and that what she did (wasting expensive thread by using it to tie grain bundles) was naughty, but the word "wicked" carries an implication of malice and ''intentional'' harm -- an entirely inappropriate term for a childish mistake[[/labelnote]], and promptly fires Miss Norrie and apologizes to Martha for not listening to her.

* DoesNotLikeShoes: Martha takes off her shoes at any opportunity, despite adult disapproval.

* ParentsAsPeople: Martha's mother initially thinks Martha's overreacting when she claims her governess, Miss Norrie, doesn't like her. She changes her mind when Miss Norrie, scolding Martha for misbehavior, calls Martha "wicked"[[labelnote:*]]Mum agrees that Martha acted thoughtlessly and that what she did (wasting expensive thread by using it to tie grain bundles) was naughty, but the word "wicked" carries an implication of malice and ''intentional'' harm, which was clearly not the case[[/labelnote]], and promptly fires Miss Norrie and apologizes to Martha for not believing her.

* AndNowForSomethingCompletelyDifferent: Martha's series compared to the other Little House Girls as the daughter of Scottish landowners rather than the working-class Americans of later generations.[[note]]Martha's family are the equivalent of English esquires and rank just below barons in Scotland, while her daughter Charlotte had a comfortable but prudent upbringing in Boston as a blacksmith's daughter and Laura, Caroline and Rose all lived through outright poverty on the Western frontier. [[/note]]

* ParentsAsPeople: Martha's mother initially thinks Martha's overreacting when she claims her governess, Miss Norrie, doesn't like her. She changes her mind when Miss Norrie, scolding Martha for misbehavior, calls Martha "wicked"[[labelnote:*]]Mum agrees that Martha acted thoughtlessly and that what she did (wasting expensive thread by using it to tie grain bundles) was naughty, but the word "wicked" carries an implication of malice and ''intentional'' harm, which it's clear was never Martha's intention at all[[/labelnote]], and promptly fires Miss Norrie and apologizes to Martha for not believing her.

* ParentsAsPeople: Martha's mother initially thinks Martha's overreacting when she claims her governess, Miss Norrie, doesn't like her. She changes her mind when Miss Norrie, scolding Martha for misbehavior, calls Martha "wicked"[[labelnote:*]]Mum agrees that Martha was being naughty and that her actions were thoughtless and careless, but the word "wicked" carries an implication of malice and ''intentional'' harm, which is clearly not the case[[/labelnote]], and promptly fires Miss Norrie and apologizes to Martha for not believing her.

* ParentsAsPeople: Martha's mother initially thinks Martha's overreacting when she claims her governess, Miss Norrie, doesn't like her. She changes her mind when Miss Norrie, scolding Martha for misbehavior, calls Martha "wicked"[[labelnote:*]]Mum agrees that the act in question was wrong and thoughtless, but the word "wicked" carries an implication that Martha was malicious and ''intended'' harm, which is clearly not the case[[/labelnote]], and promptly fires Miss Norrie and apologizes to Martha for not believing her.

* AndNowForSomethingCompletelyDifferent: Martha's series compared to the other Little House Girls as the daughter of Scottish landowners rather than the working-class Americans of later generations.[[note]]Martha's daughter Charlotte had a comfortable but prudent upbringing in Boston as a blacksmith's daughter and Laura, Caroline and Rose all lived through outright poverty on the Western frontier. Meanwhile, Martha's family were the equivalent to an English esquire.[[/note]]

** [[{{SpiritedYoungLady}} Martha and [[{{ProperLady}} Grisie]].

* SiblingYinYang: Tomboyish, wild Martha and refined, ladylike Grisie. Though as time goes Martha realizes they're more similar than she thought.
** Arrogant {{Jerkass}} Henry and humble NiceGuy Gerald.

* AndNowForSomethingCompletelyDifferent: Martha's series compared to the other Little House Girls as the daughter of Scottish landowners rather than the working-class Americans of later generations.[[note]]Martha's daughter Charlotte had a comfortable but prudent upbringing in Boston as a blacksmith's daughter and Laura, Caroline and Rose all lived through outright-poverty on the Western frontier.[[/note]]

* BarefootPoverty: Subverted. Martha is from a wealthy family but would rather go barefoot than wear shoes.

* BrutalHonesty: Cook and Mrs Sandy, the wife of Father's steward. At one point Mrs Sandy tells Martha that she's not that attractive, though luckily Martha prefers an honest approach.

** Lew is also described as someone who would walk through a tempest to help a friend and proves it in the fourth book. TruthInTelevision - people who started new lives on the other side of the world ''had'' to be determinators.

* JerkassHasAPoint: In the "The Far Side of the Loch" Grisie sulks for months because she can't go away to finishing school annoying Martha. However, from Grisie's perspective, she has no friends of her station in Glen Caraid and society discourages her from forging close friendships with the lower-class women of her age. Even Martha - who doesn't care about class distinctions and is friendly with all the tenants and servants - finds that there's a distance between her and other people in the valley as she grows up.

* MarryForLove: Martha. Although the readers never get to see it, she falls for Lew instead of a wealthy landowner and - when her parents forbid the match - goes all the way to America so they can be together. The next series shows the pair HappilyMarried so it's clear it was worth it.

** Martha and Grisie.

* TextileWorkIsFeminine: Martha's mother and Grisie are both skilled at sewing, spinning, knitting, embroidery and so on. The tomboy Martha is good at drop spindling but struggles with the more precise embroidery and needlework.

* FirstBoyWins: Outside of her family, Lew Tucker is the first boy Martha mentions and her eventual husband.

* JerkassHasAPoint: In the "Far Side of the Loch" Grisie sulks for months because she can't go away to finishing school annoying Martha. However, from Grisie's perspective, she has no friends of her station in Glen Caraid and society discourages her from forging close friendships with the lower-class women of her age. Even Martha, who doesn't care about class distinctions and is friendly with all the tenants and servants, finds that there's a distance between her and other people in the valley as she grows up.

** Wild Martha and elegant Grisie.

* StarCrossedLovers: Martha and Lew. She's expected to stay in the well-off society she was raised in, while he's a craftsman living on her father's lands. The books were developing the obstacles between them before ExecutiveMeddling ended the series. In real life, they emigrated to America to get married and start a family freely. By the sequel series, they're HappilyMarried.
** Auld Mary's story "The Laird's Lass and the Smith's Son" is an in-universe version with the pair resorting to spells and shape-changing to be together.

* TextileWorkIsFeminine: Martha's mother and Grisie are both skilled at sewing, spinning, knitting, embroidery and so on.

** Highlighted with Martha's two governesses. Miss Norrie dislikes living at the Stone House because it's so isolated, but Miss Crow loves the highland's views and walks.

* UpperClassTwit: Miss Norrie, who is a terrible teacher, makes Martha miserable, and looks down on the servants and tenant farmers. An odd example as while she's well-educated, she still has to work for a living, and (as Cook points out) a governess isn't far above an ordinary servant.

* UptownGirl: Martha for Lew. She's part of the Scottish land-owning class and he's a blacksmith. See StarCrossedLovers above for more details.

* AerithAndBob: Grisie and Alistair vs. Robbie, Duncan and Martha.
* AndNowForSomethingCompletelyDifferent: Martha's series compared to the other Little House Girls as the daughter of Scottish landowners rather than the working-class Americans of later generations.[[note]]Martha's daughter Charlotte had a comfortable but prudent upbringing in Boston as a blacksmith's daughter and Laura, Caroline and Rose all lived through near-poverty on the Western frontier.[[/note]]

* {{Bookworm}}: Alistair, Martha's oldest brother and Martha's second governess Miss Crow, who turns Martha into one too.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: Quite a bit, as Melissa Wiley wrote the ''The Charlotte Years'' as well. Martha's books establish her curiosity about America, discomfort with her wealthy lifestyle, possible names for her future children and her affection for Lew. [[note]] Auld Mary's "Tale of the Laird's Lass and the Smith's Son" is another blatant hint. [[/note]]

* TheGloriousWarOfSisterlyRivalry: Martha and Grisie. Martha is tomboyish and lively, while Grisie is ladylike and reserved.
* HappilyMarried: Martha's parents Allan and Margaret; Grisie and her husband Kenneth by the fourth book; Nannie (the Morse's kitchen maid) and Gerald in the third book. Lew and Martha by the next series.

* IJustWantToBeNormal: While she comes to appreciate the privileges of being a laird's daughter Martha often wishes she could be an ordinary village girl, as her status isolates her from other people in the valley. She's also better at practical work like cooking and herbalism than ladylike accomplishments.

** Lew is also described as someone who would walk through a tempest to help a friend and proves it in the fourth book. TruthInTelevision - people who started new lives on the other side of the world had to be determinators.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: Quite a bit, as Melissa Wiley wrote the ''The Charlotte Years'' as well. Martha's books establish her curiosity about America, discomfort with her wealthy lifestyle, possible names for her future children, and hint at her romance with Lew. [[note]]Auld Mary's "Tale of the Laird's Lass and the Smith's Son," Lew smuggling her craft supplies, Martha's admiration for him.[[/note]]

* GrowingUpSucks: Martha's opinion, as growing up means becoming a ProperLady and all her siblings leaving home.

* LikeParentLikeSpouse: Martha comments that the cheerful Kenneth relaxes Grisie the same way Martha and Grisie's mother loosened up their serious father. Carries into the sequel series with Martha herself, as she's outgoing and talkative like her mother while Lew is quiet and calm.

* MarryForLove: Martha. Although the readers never get to see it, instead of choosing a landowner as expected, she falls in love with common blacksmith Lew and - when her wealthy parents forbid the match - goes all the way to America so they can be together. The next series shows the pair very much HappilyMarried so it's clear it was worth it.

* ''{{Creator/RobertBurns}}'': Not in person but Martha and her family enthusiastically read his latest poems and publications.
* RomanticismVersusEnlightenment: Many of the locals of Glencaraid (Cook, Mrs Sandy, Nannie etc.) believe in Scottish myths and following traditional customs, while more urban and educated characters (Alisdair, Miss Norrie, Miss Crow and Allan Morse) bring in modern thinking, science and logic. Martha herself loves the older myths and customs, but is also interested in new ideas and learning.

* SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan: A recurring theme. Nanny goes for the plain NiceGuy Gerald over his arrogant brother Henry, Grisie chooses the good-natured Kenneth out of her many suitors, and Martha eventually marries the kind and loyal Lew.

* StrongFamilyResemblance: Grisie looks like her attractive, dark-haired mother, while Martha takes after their paternal grandmother who was "handsome but not pretty."

** Martha's sophisticated aunt and uncle come from Perth while Martha's parents prefer rural life in Glen Caraid. Martha's surprised by how little her cousins are allowed outdoors - Cook even points out they won't be able to manage a 3-mile trek like she can.
** Highlighted with Martha's two governesses. Miss Norrie dislikes living at the Stone House because it's so isolated, while Miss Crow loves the highland's views and walks.
** Martha and Grisie also clash on this: Martha likes living in the valley, but Grisie wants to move to attend a city finishing school. Reversed when they're adults, as Grisie and Kenneth settle on his rural property, while Martha moves to a town outside Boston.

* UptownGirl: Martha for Lew. She is part of the Scottish land-owning class while he's a blacksmith. See StarCrossedLovers above for more details.

* NiceGuy: Martha's father and all three of her brothers; Gerald Cameron who found Martha a hedgehog and later married Nanny; Grisie's suitor Kenneth, and Lew Tucker.

* ProneToTears: Miss Norrie, Martha's first governess "goes into a flurry" over calamities like dirty footprints, messy hair, walking up hills, and talking to servants. When Martha is late for dinner Miss Norrie descends into hysterics. Even adult characters like Cook, Auld Mary and Martha's parents get tired of her.

* ChildhoodFriendRomance: Martha and Lew Tucker, her eventual husband. They're friendly from the first book and grow closer over the series. By Literature/TheCharlotteYears they've gone through an InterClassRomance and are HappilyMarried.

* TheCityVsTheCountry: A recurring theme. Martha's sophisticated aunt and uncle come from the city while Martha's parents (especially her father) prefer rural life in Glen Caraid. When Uncle Harry's family move to the valley, Martha is surprised how little Rachel and Mary are allowed outdoors - Cook even points out they won't be able to manage a 3-mile trek like she can.
** It's also an issue with Martha's governesses: Her first governess Miss Norrie dislikes living at the Stone House because it's so isolated, while Miss Crow's first words are how much she loves the view and quickly explores the area.
** Also a conflict between Martha and Grisie: Martha is happy living in the valley, but Grisie wishes to go away to school in the city. (Interestingly when she marries Kenneth they live in Perth, but at the end of the book they move back to the country, while in the sequel series Martha is happily living in the town of Roxbury near Boston so they both seem to have found middle ground).
* TomboyAndGirlyGirl: Martha and Grisie; much like her great-granddaughter Laura, Martha would far rather be playing outdoors than sitting inside sewing or knitting.
* {{Tomboy}}: Martha, obviously.
* UpperClassTwit: Miss Norrie who is a terrible teacher, hopelessly out of touch with Martha, refuses to associate with the servants and looks down on the tenant farmers for not having proper education. An odd example as while Miss Norrie is well-educated and from a more upper-class background than most of Glen Caraid, she clearly isn't wealthy herself given she has to work and being a governess is only one up from a servant anyway. (Which Cook isn't slow to point out). And ironically Martha's family who ''are'' genuinely wealthy subvert this as they're all very sensible and aren't impressed with Miss Norrie's behaviour.
* UptownGirl: Martha for Lew. She is part of the Scottish land-owning class while he is a working class blacksmith. See StarCrossedLovers above for more details.
* VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory: The author admits that the only facts known about Martha is her birth and death date, the date she emigrated from Scotland, that she was the daughter of a laird and married someone considered beneath her station. With Lew only his name and profession are known. Everything else is fictional.

* AndNowForSomethingCompletelyDifferent: Martha's series compared to the other Little House Girls. She's the daughter of wealthy Scottish landowners rather than the working-class Americans of later generations.[[note]]Martha's daughter Charlotte had a comfortable but prudent upbringing in Boston as a blacksmith's daughter and Laura, Caroline and Rose all lived through near-poverty on the Western frontier.[[/note]]

* BrutalHonesty: Cook and Mrs Sandy, the wife of Father's steward. At one point Mrs Sandy tells Martha that she's more handsome than pretty. Luckily Martha prefers people stating things outright rather than dropping hints.

* SpiritedYoungLady: Martha is the daughter of a laird who prefers and preferring foot-racing to sewing.
* StarCrossedLovers: Martha and Lew. She was from well-off society, the daughter of a laird[[note]]lord[[/note]] while he was a skilled labourer. The books were developing this before ExecutiveMeddling ended the series. In real life, they emigrated to America to get married and start a family freely.
** They're shown as HappilyMarried in the sequel series.
* StrongFamilyResemblance: Grisie is described as looking a lot like her mother - dark-haired, warm eyes and the beauty of the county. Meanwhile, Martha takes after her father's mother who was handsome "but not one you'd call a beauty".
* TextileWorkIsFeminine: Martha's mother and Grisie are both very good at sewing, spinning, knitting, embroidery and so on.
* TheCityVsTheCountry: A recurring theme. Martha's cousins, aunt and uncle come from the city and are more sophisticated while Martha's parents (especially her father) prefer living simply in the rural Glen Caraid. When Uncle Harry's family come to live in the valley, Martha is surprised how little Rachel and Mary are allowed outdoors - Cook even points out they won't be able to manage a 3 mile trek like she can.

The four books, written by Melissa Wiley, are ''Little House in the Highlands,'' ''The Far Side of the Loch'', ''Down to the Bonny Glen'', and ''Beyond the Heather Hills'', chronicle Martha's life from age six to age eleven growing up in Scotland in the late 18th Century.

* BarefootPoverty: Subverted. Martha is the daughter of a laird[[note]]lord[[/note]], would rather go barefoot than wear shoes.

* RichesToRags: Riches To Commoner for Martha between this series and TheCharlotteYears. While she isn't poor as a blacksmith's wife, she still loses the status and luxury she grew up with. Played with, in that she chose to leave her wealthy life and never regrets it.
* RobertBurns: Not in person but Martha and her family enthusiastically read his latest poems and publications.
* RomanticismVersusEnlightenment: Touched on, though it doesn't cause any great conflict. Many of the locals of Glencaraid (Cook, Mrs Sandy, Nannie etc.) believe strongly in Scottish myths and following traditional customs, while more urban and educated characters (Alisdair after going away to school, Miss Norrie, Miss Crow and Allan Morse to a certain extent) bring in modern thinking, science and logic. Martha herself loves the older myths and customs, but is also interested in new ideas and learning.
--> "Alisdair says all this bother about omens and luck is just superstition." Martha went on. "He says is doesna really mean a thing. He says we ought to remember that it's 1791, practically the nineteenth century and we mustna cling to the foolish notions of the old days."
--> "Ah, yer brother say that, does he?" Cook answered sharply. "I suppose that's the sort o' tomfoolery they teach them at them fancy city schools nowadays. 'Nearly the nineteenth century' indeed. As if the sun and the rain take any heed o' what century it is."

* ShipTease: Martha and Lew's eventual romance isn't developed in the early books, as Martha's so young. However a subplot in ''Beyond The Heather Hills'' has Lew going above and beyond to help a bed-ridden Martha, them passing secret letters to each other and a sweet scene at the end of the book, that definitely hints at something more. Cook even calls them quite a pair and suggests there isn't anything Lew wouldn't have done for Martha.

* SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan: A recurring theme. Nanny goes for the plain NiceGuy Gerald over his arrogant brother Henry, out of Grisie's many suitors she chooses the good-natured Kenneth and Martha clearly follows the pattern marrying Lew, who she's describes as incredibly loyal and kind-hearted throughout the series.
* SpiritedYoungLady: Martha definitely qualifies, being the daughter of a laird (owner of a large, long-established Scottish estate, roughly equivalent to an esquire in England, yet ranking above the same in Scotland) and preferring foot-racing to sewing.

* StrongFamilyResemblance: Grisie is described as looking a lot like her mother - dark-haired, warm eyes and the beauty of the county. Meanwhile Martha takes after her father's mother who was handsome "but not one you'd call a beauty".

* BrutalHonesty: Cook and Mrs Sandy, the wife of Father's steward. At one point Mrs Sandy tells Martha that she's more handsome than pretty. Luckily Martha prefers people saying things outright rather than dropping hints.

* CloseKnitCommunity: Everyone in the small Glen Caraid - from the villagers to the tenant farmers on the other side of the loch - knows each other and there are many local jokes, traditions and communal celebrations.

* {{Determinator}}: Martha. In ''Down To The Bonny Glen'' she runs over three miles to get help for a sick tenant and her parents can't believe an eight-year-old made it so quickly. As an adult, she has the guts to marry Lew against all social convention and head to America.
** Lew is also described as someone who would 'walk through a tempest' and proves it in the fourth book. (Of course, TruthInTelevision - people who travelled halfway round the world to start new lives ''had'' to be determinators).
%%* DoesNotLikeShoes: See BarefootPoverty.
%%* FieryRedHead: Martha and her middle brother Robbie.
* FirstNameBasis: Grisie's suitor Kenneth calls her by her first name at the end of the third book, tipping off Martha and the readers that things are getting serious. By the fourth book they're married.
* {{Foreshadowing}}: Quite a bit, as Melissa Wiley wrote the ''The Charlotte Years'' as well. Martha's books establish her curiosity about America, discomfort with her wealthy lifestyle and even discuss names for future children. There are also a lot of hints about her romance with Lew. [[note]]Martha teasing Lew about marrying a man who can do iron work for her, Auld Mary's tale about an InterClassRomance between a lairds daughter and blacksmith, Lew helping her when she's stuck in bed and Martha's admiration for him whenever he's appears.[[/note]]

--> Martha: "Pah! I wouldna want to marry some old earl. I'd rather marry someone who does something interesting with his days. I could help him...Who kens, I might just decide to marry a blacksmith instead. He'd be handy to have around when I need an iron kettle or some such."

* TheGloriousWarOfSisterlyRivalry: Martha and Grisie. Martha is tomboyish and lively, while Grisie is girly and reserved.

* IJustWantToBeNormal: While she comes to appreciate the privileges of being a laird's daughter Martha spends a lot of time wishing she could be a normal village girl or tenant's daughter. The fact her status means she stuck inside while everyone's out working and playing together doesn't help. Even the other characters acknowledge she's better at common things like cooking and working outdoors than fine accomplishments of needlework and dancing.
* LadyOfAdventure: Martha emigrated to America when her parents forbade her to marry Lew, as a single woman by herself in the 18th Century.
* LikeFatherLikeSon: Like Aunt Like Niece: Discussed. Martha thinks her cousin Meg - who is jolly and friendly - takes after her own mother, Meg's aunt, particularly because she was named after her. (Meg being short for Margaret).
* LikeParentLikeSpouse: Martha comments that the cheerful Kenneth relaxes Grisie, the same way Martha and Grisie's mother loosened up their serious father. Carries into the sequel series with Martha herself, as she's outgoing and talkative like her mother - though more hot-tempered - while Lew is quiet and calm.

* MarryForLove: Martha. Although the readers never get to see it, instead of choosing a land-owner she falls in love with common blacksmith Lew and - when her wealthy parents forbid the match - she doesn't just marry him but first leaves them and goes all the way to America so they can be together. The next series shows the pair very much HappilyMarried so it's clear it was all worth it.

* NiceGuy: Martha's father and all three of her brothers; Gerald Cameron who found Martha a hedgehog and later married Nanny; Grisie's suitor Kenneth, and Lew, who smuggled Martha craft supplies.

* NotSoDifferentRemark: Down-to-earth Martha feels different from the ladylike Grisie, but Cook points out they're more similar than she thinks, both stubborn, sarcastic and dreaming of being somewhere else.
* ObnoxiousInLaws: Grisie's father-in-law isn't the pleasantest of guys.
* OldMaid: Cook, though she admits by choice as she had plenty of suitors she turned down. Miss Crow would be heading this way too, as she mentions she's thirty one.

* PluckyGirl: Martha, her friend Annie and little cousin Mary.
* ProneToTears: Miss Norrie, Martha's first governess is very nervous and emotional. Martha observes she "goes into a flurry" over such horrific behaviours as leaving dirty footprints in the house, getting hair messy, wanting to go for a walk up a hill and visiting the kitchen. When Martha is late for dinner Miss Norrie descends into hysterics. Even older characters like Cook, Auld Mary and later Martha's parents get tired of her.

* RebelliousSpirit: Martha and a constant issue in the series as she feels restrained by the expectations of being 'the laird's daughter' and wants to be normal like everyone else. Clearly her rebellion only grows as she's emigrated to America by the next series.
* RichesToRags: Martha between this series and the next. Or rather Riches To Commoner as she isn't poor as a blacksmith's wife but certainly loses the status and luxury she grew up with. Played with in that she was never comfortable with her wealthy lifestyle, chose to leave it and shows no regrets about the change.

* AerithAndBob: Grisie, Alistair, Robbie, Duncan, Martha.
* AndNowForSomethingCompletelyDifferent: Martha's series compared to the other Little House Girls. She was raised in Scotland in a wealthy, upper class family compared to the rest who grew up in ordinary, working class families in America. [[note]]Martha's daughter Charlotte had a comfortable but prudent upbringing in Boston as a blacksmith's daughter and Laura, Caroline and Rose all lived through near-poverty on the Western frontier.[[/note]]
* AnnoyingYoungerSibling: Martha to Grisie. Annie, the daughter of one of the tenant farmer's views her siblings as this since she's saddled with looking after them.
* AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther: Martha and Grisie have a few of these moments, particularly in the fourth book when Grisie has married and moved away, making them realize how much they miss each other.
* BarefootPoverty: Subverted. Martha, though the daughter of a laird[[note]]lord[[/note]], would rather go barefoot than wear shoes.
* BenevolentBoss: Martha's father is a beloved land-owner who'd do anything to help his tenants and Martha's mother is a kind mistress to the servants. Kenneth aims for this trope as well, instead of following in his [[{{BadBoss}} father's]] footsteps.
* BigFancyHouse: Fairlie, one of Martha's father's properties across the loch. (Though he and Martha both prefer their small Stone House.)

* BookWorm: Alistair, Martha's oldest brother. Martha's second governess Miss Crow, who turns Martha into one too.

* BrutalHonesty: Cook and Mrs Sandy - the wife of Father's steward - are incredibly blunt. At one point Mrs Sandy tells Martha takes after her grandmother who was handsome but not pretty. Luckily Martha admits she prefers people saying things outright rather than hinting around.

* NotSoDifferent: Down-to-earth Martha feels different from the ladylike Grisie, but Cook points out they're more similar than she thinks, both stubborn, sarcastic and dreaming of being somewhere else.

* DoesNotLikeShoes: See BarefootPoverty.
* FieryRedHead: Martha and her middle brother Robbie.

* ParentsAsPeople: Martha's mother thinks she's overreacting when she claims her governess, Miss Norrie, doesn't like her. She changes her mind when Miss Norrie, scolding Martha for misbehavior, calls Martha "wicked"[[labelnote:*]]Mum agrees that the act in question was wrong and thoughtless, but the word "wicked" carries an implication that Martha was malicious and intended harm, which is clearly not the case[[/labelnote]], and promptly fires Miss Norrie and apologizes to Martha for not believing her.

* ParentsAsPeople: Martha's mother thinks she's overreacting when she claims her governess, Miss Norrie, doesn't like her. She changes her mind when Miss Norrie, scolding Martha for misbehavior, calls Martha "wicked"[[labelnote:*]]Mum agrees that the act in question was wrong and thoughtless, but the word "wicked" suggested Martha was malicious and intended harm, which is clearly not the case[[/labelnote]], and promptly fires Miss Norrie and apologizes to Martha for not believing her.

** Lew is also described as someone who would 'walk through a tempest' and proves it in the fourth book. (Of course, TruthInTelevision - people who travelled halfway round the world to start news lives ''had'' to be determinators).

* ParentsAsPeople: Martha's mother thinks she's overreacting when she claims her governess, Miss Norrie, doesn't like her. She changes her mind when Miss Norrie, scolding Martha for misbehavior, calls Martha "wicked"[[labelnote:*]]Mum agrees that the act in question was wrong and thoughtless, but the word "wicked" suggested Martha was malicious and intended harm, which Mum finds an outrageous accusation[[/labelnote]], and promptly fires Miss Norrie and apologizes to Martha for not believing her.