Livesey’s writing was significantly influenced by her family’s past, particularly stories related to her great-grandmother’s experiences with second sight. This familial connection to the supernatural intrigued her, prompting her to explore themes of inherited gifts and their implications in her characters’ lives. In an interview, Livesey mentioned that her mother had a relationship with the supernatural, which further fueled her interest in writing about characters like Lizzie Craig, who possesses the ability to glimpse the future.

Livesey also drew on her childhood reading experiences, particularly works by authors like George MacDonald, which often featured elements of the uncanny. This literary background helped shape Lizzie’s character and her extraordinary abilities within an otherwise ordinary life.

The Protagonist and Her Gift
The novel centers around Lizzie Craig, an orphaned girl living with her grandparents on a small farm outside Glasgow. Lizzie possesses an extraordinary gift - she experiences vivid visions that reveal glimpses of the future. These "pictures" initially depict mundane events but later foretell catastrophic occurrences, leaving Lizzie grappling with the question of whether these events are predetermined or can be prevented.

Lyrical Prose and Scottish Imagery
Livesey's prose is widely praised for its radiant and evocative quality, rich with Scottish imagery and symbolism. The novel is steeped in the mysticism and legends of the rural Scottish landscape, with elements like the rowan tree serving as a protective charm and ancient pagan standing stones adding to the enchanting atmosphere.

Coming-of-Age and Societal Constraints
As Lizzie navigates life, she yearns for more than the domesticity expected of women in her era and social standing. Her world transforms when a local lad named Hugh is hired to help on the farm, and later when his charming friend Louis arrives. However, Lizzie's choices and decisions lead to disastrous consequences, highlighting the societal constraints and lack of freedom faced by young women of that time.

Critical Acclaim
"The Road From Belhaven" has received widespread critical acclaim, with reviewers praising Livesey's lyrical perfection, profound compassion, and skillful portrayal of the enchanting mysteries of life. The novel has been described as "a marvel," "radiantly beautiful," and "a smart, profound, and beautiful book that draws you in and holds you tight." Livesey's ability to imbue her characters with astonishing humanity and grace has been particularly lauded.

In summary, Margot Livesey's "The Road From Belhaven" is a poignant and beautifully crafted historical novel that explores the complexities of a young woman's life in Victorian Scotland, blending elements of mysticism, societal constraints, and the universal human yearning for self-determination.

"The Road from Belhaven" has received a generally positive reception from critics. The novel is praised for its rich prose, historical detail, and the depth of its main character, Lizzie Craig. Reviewers have highlighted Livesey's ability to blend magical realism with a grounded historical narrative, creating a compelling coming-of-age story set in 19th-century Scotland.

The Washington Post described it as a radiant and descriptive exploration of abandonment, betrayal, and inheritance, noting Lizzie as a strong and capable character who is deeply sympathetic. The Boston Globe appreciated the blend of magical and earthly elements, emphasizing the themes of love and loss, and praising Livesey’s compassionate storytelling.

Kirkus Reviews and Publishers Weekly also offered favorable reviews, with Publishers Weekly calling it a "gem" and Kirkus highlighting it as an unconventional but engaging coming-of-age tale.

However, The New York Times provided a more mixed review, critiquing the lack of interiority and emotional intensity in the narrative, although still acknowledging the vivid historical setting and intriguing premise.

Overall, "The Road from Belhaven" is seen as a beautifully written and evocative novel that successfully captures the nuances of its historical setting while delivering a poignant story of growth and resilience​.

The supernatural elements in "The Road from Belhaven"—especially Lizzie’s second sight—are vital to how the story unfolds, how characters develop, and how themes resonate.

Driving the Plot & Tension
Intuition as plot catalysts: Lizzie’s “pictures” often warn of looming accidents (a scythe slipping, a cart’s wheel falling off, a thunderstruck tree), sending her scrambling to intervene.
Fateful limitations: Despite her visions, Lizzie can’t always change outcomes. This discrepancy between foreknowledge and impotence deepens emotional stakes—she sees coming grief or betrayal but can't prevent them.

Shaping Lizzie’s Identity & Internal Conflict
Secret burden: Lizzie hides her gift, raised in an environment that sees such abilities as "tempting the devil". It shapes her isolation and maturity, forcing her to negotiate alone between supernatural warnings and social restrictions.
Emotional distance: Some critics suggest this psychic layer—though powerful—can keep the narration emotionally reserved. Lizzie "recites" despair more than feels it, illustrating how her gift sometimes disconnects her from fully inhabiting the moment emotionally.

Weaving with Setting & Themes
Folk tradition meets realism: Livesey draws from Scottish lore and personal family history of “second sight”. The gift isn't magical realism confidence—it's subtle, woven into the everyday as part of rural life, like seasonal rhythms or farm chores .
Symbolic boundary between worlds: The supernatural blurs childhood and adult worlds, rural stability and urban uncertainty. Lizzie’s gift is part of her rural identity, yet its consequences follow her to the modern, uncertain streets of Glasgow.

Interpersonal & Generational Ripples
Inheritance and lineage: The "second sight" runs in the women of Lizzie's line—mother, grandmother, herself. It connects her to family legacies and lost maternal relationships, anchoring personal choices in deeper roots.
Ethical dilemmas: Each vision asks her what moment to change—or if she should try. Even with insight, choices remain morally tangled: intervene and risk consequences, or accept fate and remain powerless.

Heightened Emotional & Moral Texture
Voice of kindness: Critics note that the supernatural element deepens Livesey’s “gentle compassion” for her characters. Lizzie’s empathy toward those she foresees suffering creates poignant moments of tenderness.
Second chances and mindfulness: Her visions offer potential redemption, a chance to reconsider and act differently. They invite questions: If you can glimpse the future, what do you do with that knowledge—and will it change anything?