Jura is the backdrop for much of the action in a hard-hitting new psychological thriller about a fragile young woman who steals a baby and flees to the island. Author Marguerite Valentine delved into her experience as a childcare specialist and psychotherapist for the novel, which has launched at Foyles bookshop in Bristol last month.
Flori is a successful, attractive young woman living and working in London when in the early hours of the morning, in a moment of madness, she steals a tiny baby. With the reluctant assistance of her best friend, Rose, and Matt, an erstwhile lover, she flees with the baby to Jura, a remote Scottish island. Living in extreme isolation and without the support of Rose or Matt, traumatic memories from her childhood return to haunt her and her life begins to unravel.
Marguerite explained: ‘Some experiences have seared my mind, particularly cruelty to children. The idea for the book came with an image I saw years ago on the TV news of a woman caught on CCTV stealing a baby from a maternity ward. I wondered what had prompted such a drastic choice. ‘Having worked with children at risk, I also know it’s heartbreaking and profoundly disturbing for social work professionals whose actions are so restricted by bureaucracy and poor funding. They carry a huge burden of responsibility. It’s all of these dynamics that I wanted to write about.”
You can order your copy for £9,99 online at Amazon
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