Salvage

In  Dublin author's Bernadette Quinn's new novel, Salvage, she explores a situation of marital crisis and destruction.

Based on events from real life -not those of the author- the novel tells the story of a typical Irish couple, Pam Cronin and Pat McElroy.

They meet, by chance, at a seminar. He is a youthful and ambitious architect, she is an equally youthful and equally ambitious newly qualified medical doctor.

They meet again and quickly realise that they are falling very deeply in love  and quite soon they are married and have two children.

However, their married life takes a change for the worse when Pam wishes to return to work as a doctor. Perhaps somewhat inexplicably, Pat forbids this from happening.

In order to appease her husband, Pam  acquiesces to his arguments that she should be a stay at home mother and concentrate on raising their two children.

This is, however, the start of what eventually become serious problems within their marriage.

With the passage of time their relationship deteriorates more and more. Pam attempts to raise these important issues with her husband but he dismisses her concerns. As far as he is concerned they have the perfect marriage and any problems that Pam perceives are only within her own mind.

Perhaps in order to shock him into realising the severity of their marital disharmony, Pam suggests a trial separation, he is angry and very dismissive of the idea. But demands that if they separate, that he would seek custody of their two children.

Aware that their marriage is, in fact, dying, Pam realises that she must now make plans to create a new life for herself, a life that does not involve her husband or her children.

However, fate takes a hand when Pam is severely wounded when she attempts to save a child who is in danger of being run down by a bus.

She is alone in her hospital bed  and she begins to think about her life and her family. Will she be able to continue with her life as a wife and mother or could she decide to carry out her plans for a new and different life, facing the world, alone?

This is an emotionally charged and highly realistic novel and will make an excellent Christmas present for those for whom Mills and Boon is not their cup of tea.

It is published by Matador at £9.99 and can be bought here >>> https://goo.gl/AzQ0XD.