A Time for Peace was published by Cinnamon Press in 2016. Over ten years before that I’d been made redundant by the probation service and began to write – not formal reports, but fiction and poetry. What began as disappointment at losing a career and way of life I loved, became a new adventure. The idea for the novel was crazy. A conventional British woman becomes a soldier in the Serbian army. It was too crazy for me because I couldn’t imagine a woman the early twentieth century doing that. Or not at least the woman I was fictionalising.
Here is a short extract from the novel. Ellen is a volunteer medic in a unit of the Serb army when along with a corporal she comes across a village destroyed by the Austrians in 1914.
The track became narrower, the air colder. Her horse slowed, her hooves unsteady on damp pine needles, slippery stones. As Ellen followed the corporal into a clearing bounded by pines, she halted. Ahead: burned ruins of a row of houses, scorched trees. The smell of smouldering wood reminded her of bonfires her father made each autumn. She had never stood in so desolate a place. The air tasted of death… She led her horse to the ruins of the first house, while the corporal rode through the alley between the houses. One side of the dwelling was destroyed, its timber eaten by fire. Dust stung her eyes; she reached inside her breeches pocket for a handkerchief… She imagined flames catching thatched roofs, licking the struts and beams, burning mud daub, blackening stone walls. The painted white stones at the front of the house were scorched; window frames and a roof beam had almost disappeared, and yet a wooden door had collapsed almost intact, feet from the building. Some roof tiles sat on top of the stones on the ground like peaked riding hats.
I remain grateful to Rowan and Jan Fortune who had faith in my novel, to the writers in Novelink who read the early drafts with kindness and enthusiasm, and to those who read it.
Ellen remembered that afternoon in St Thomas’ hall. The mingling of women’s perfume in the rows around her, the swelling of her feet in satin shoes, the buzz in her stomach. She’d telephoned Edward, her fiancé, at his club, had enthused that Lady Alice believed women could play an active role during the war.
Family and friends were supportive and remain so. I remember two people in particular who read it – Noreen Sutherland who had been a nurse during WW2, her husband a major, and Brian from the gym. I’ve never known his surname. Neither were avid readers and plodded their way through, much as I did when I wrote it.
I wrote about Ellen because the Serbs recognised the part British women played during the war. Ellen had no idea what war meant; she was an unqualified medic, but she faced her experience and fears with courage.
It’s an anniversary of sorts. The time of year when I had my launch at Waterstones and I gave a talk at Warwick History Festival. A time when the horror of war is brought to us daily on our screens, when we remember those who were killed and wounded throughout the world in many wars. The trauma our countries experience. Our need for peace. If not now, when?
References: The above photograph is of Flora Sandes who became a sergeant in the Serbian army and is taken from Wikipedia. Kate Adie‘s Corsets to Camouflage (2003) tells the story of the historic Flora Sandes. Cinnamon Press, an Indie press, is in its 20th year. It publishes fiction, poetry and non-fiction and has a varied range of books to buy. It’s not easy to continue in these times and Jan Fortune continues to lead a successful and innovative team. Novelink is a small group of writers who focus on their novels. We meet for lunch and sharing our work.
Reading: The Man Alone- Michael Laskey – I’m nearing the end of the collection. I particularly enjoy On My Own – so evocative and moving. His subjects seem ordinary, and yet surprise. Wintering: the power of rest and retreat in difficult times – Katherine May An entertaining read and despite the difference in our ages, some aspects were spot on viz. Rest when you need and don’t worry! Weathering – : how the earth’s deep wisdom can help us endure life’s storms – Ruth Allen. Many of the landscapes are in Derbyshire and some of the places I love. She describes how as a physiotherapist she does some of her work outside. Interesting. Call me Auntie – Anne Harrison I probably read this last month. It’s about Anne’s time in care which sounds to have been harsh at times.
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