THE CIRCUS, THE LIVERPOOL BLITZ AND A TRAGIC GHOST
This year the circus is
celebrating its 250th anniversary, which inspired me to write my latest novel, THE BOY WHO COULD FLY.
The
story is written for children (10 years upwards) but is also
interesting for adults. It has a supernatural element, bringing
together my own 19th century ancestor, 'Una The Human Fly', a
circus star tragically killed while performing at the age of 16, and
Jamie, a fictional descendant of his. It begins in
Britain during WW2 with Jamie losing both parents in the Liverpool
blitz and
follows his subsequent life, much of it difficult, and his burning
desire to learn how to fly on a trapeze.
A
mix of story telling, circus lore and historical detail, parts of the
book
are autobiographical. I was born and brought up in Liverpool, and
it's the setting for one of my adult books too (ME, DINGO AND
SIBELIUS). From the mid-19th century my family were circus and
theatre performers - acrobats, gymnasts, dancers, singers and
musicians
THE
BOY WHO COULD FLY is my twelfth book, available in both paperback and Kindle from Amazon.
