A CRIMSON DAWN
*An Amazon Kindle Bestseller*
Available as an ebook, paperback and audio.
Click here to buy from
Amazon.co.uk
Click here to buy from Amazon.com
** This book has been rated in the Heatseekers Top 20 Fiction
Best Sellers list for 4 weeks running. (Data compiled by Nielsen
Bookscan)
A powerful saga of love and
war.
Emmie Kelso is only nine years old when she's rescued from a
dingy Gateshead tenement. Sent to Crawdene, a mining village
on the fell, she's taken into the vibrant, loving household of the
MacRaes and brought up as one of their own. Blossoming into an intelligent
and spirited young woman, Emmie is soon swept off her feet by handsome
miner Tom Curran but it's only after their wedding that she learns
of his possessive, violent nature.
As war engulfs Europe in 1914, the community divides. Tom enlists
and despite his disapproval, Emmie joins the MacRaes, among others,
in their cries for peace. Working with those opposed to the war,
Emmie finds herself alongside Rab, the MacRaes' eldest son and a
conscientious objector, and their childhood devotion to each other
sparks into a love too strong to hide. But as the war worsens, the
atmosphere grows ever more tense. Women hand out white feathers
to those refusing to defend their country and Rab, arrested as a
'conchie', faces the ultimate penalty. And when a brutalised, war-weary
Tom returns home, there's trouble ahead. The war may be drawing
to an end, but Emmie's fight for happiness is only just beginning
....
Janet was inspired to write about conscientious objectors in
the First World War, because of her recent experience as a peace
activist.
"At the time when I was going on peace protests to try and stop
our country invading Iraq, I was researching the First World War.
I wondered what had happened to the widespread women's movement
for emancipation that was stopped abruptly by the outbreak of the
Great War.
What I discovered was that many of the groups did not disband,
despite their leadership telling them it was their patriotic duty
to get behind the war effort. Many brave women, against the jingoism
whipped up by the government, stood out against war and kept in
touch with their fellow campaigners in the 'enemy' countries. They
saw it as an imperialist war that was all about grabbing colonies
and resources. Ordinary people on both sides were being asked to
do the fighting to support a system in which they were the victims.
Amazingly, some of these women held a peace conference in 1915
to try and bring a negotiated peace to Europe. If they had been
listened to, millions of lives would have been saved.
The more I delved into this fascinating, over-looked piece of history,
the more my admiration grew for these long ago peace campaigners
- socialists, pacifists, Non-Conformists, Quakers and suffragists
- whose ideals are still so relevant today.
Each month, I help organise a peace vigil in my home town of Morpeth,
to remind people that peace is something for which we have to strive
and work towards every day, not just on the eve of invasion. Big
governments put huge effort and resources into planning and carrying
out war. We look for the day when they'll put as much effort into
planning for peace.
However daunting and impossible the task may seem, I take courage
from our forebears who thought nothing of being vilified or imprisoned
during the First World War for their determination to put a stop
to the carnage.
Anyone interested in joining us?! We meet in Morpeth market square
on the 11th of every month (the day the war-to-end-all-wars was
supposed to be) from 5.30-6.30pm.'
Reviewers Comments:
'It's another action-packed, emotionally-charged page-turner
from the Morpeth author.'
Newcastle Journal.
'Another cracking tale from the author of the trilogy based
on the life of Catherine Cookson.' [4 star rating]
Sunderland Echo.
'Dramatic, powerful story of love and war.' [5 star rating]
Bournemouth Daily Echo.
Readers E-mails:
'It's a brilliant book. The story is about the First World War. There's plenty of hatred and violence by Emmie's husband that made me feel taut and gutted - it was chilling reading. I loved the characters of Emmie and Rab, they are marvellous. When I finished the book I felt numb - it was a superb story - well done Janet!'
G. Innes - Newcastle.
'I have just finished reading A Crimson Dawn from the Home Library. I just felt I had to tell you how much I enjoyed it. I thought it was the best you have written. I have enjoyed reading all your books, but this I felt surpassed the others, in my opinion. Hope to read many more.'
D.S. - Walkerville, Newcastle.
Just a quick email to say I really enjoyed reading your latest
book very much.
I particularly liked when it got to the second half where the war
started. It was also nice to read a different perspective of the
war in as much it was about being a conchie and made it more of
a different story than the usual sagas. I like to read about the
early years pre w w 1 the 20's and 30's more than the second world
war as everyone seems to pick this to write about in sagas and while
I still read them I have found I prefer the in-between years. I
also think your research must be more thorough than most as well.
I am already looking forward to your next book I hate getting to
the end of a good book it's like getting to the end of a lollipop.
H.D.
Hi, Just seen on the Internet that you have a new book coming
out soon.
I do so love your books as I now live in Australia, reading books
about the North East, is like coming home on holiday. Thank you
so much.
Regards from Ann Hansen
If you would like to write to Janet by
e-mail with your comments about this or any other book, please use
this e-mail link: janet@janetmacleodtrotter.com
|
