CURRENTLY ON MY BOOKSHELF - I'M READING...

Lucky me!  Having been a founding member of my local Essex book club - now 23 years - I appreciate the books that are available for me to read (and hopefully appreciate). The only problem is that I also write books, articles, press releases and many other forms of scribing - including this blog which I created in 2006 - and thank so many regular readers who have made contact, given their thoughts and are now friendly acquaintances. 

My current good read is The Farmer and the Fury, debut novel of author Cherry Burroughs, a member of Brentwood Writers' Circle, whose book is linked to the 70th anniversary of that the disastrous tidal surge in 1953 which inspired her to research and create her first book. 

On her earlier show for Phoenix98fm, she said:

What was important to me when I wrote this book was to respect the historical event and  to weave a story that made connections and resonated with the reader. ‘The Farmer and the Fury’ does that on many levels.

The great North Sea flood of 1953 was an event which is embodied in our local history, not just because of the tragic loss of lives but also because it reminds all of us of our own vulnerabilities when faced with the power of nature. It is a theme that is as important today as it was in 1953.