How the Hangman Lost His Heart

K.M. Grant’s fictional story “How the Hangman Lost His Heart” takes place in mid-18th-century England, just after the Second Jacobite Rebellion. The plot centers on Alice Towneley, who was executed by Dan Skinslicer for her support of Prince Bonnie Charlie during the uprising, and whose adored uncle, Colonel Frank Towneley.

The courageous Alice sets out on a mission to retrieve Frank’s severed head so that it can be buried properly after it is seen on a pike. Along the journey, she encounters the royal guard’s wrath and makes an odd ally in the kindhearted executioner.