Set in 14th Century Scotland, with feuding clans and Robert III’s court fraught with intrigue, the 1828 novel "The Fair Maid of Perth" is one of Sir Walter Scott’s best. Though not of the strictest historical accuracy (the famous North Inch combat took place in September, not on Palm Sunday), the story is so colorfully written that only the most pedantic would complain of its liberties. The fair maid of the title is Catharine Glover, beloved by the armourer Henry Smith. (Amazon)