We are only 40 minutes away from the capital of Scotland and so decided to pick up a brochure for the Fringe this year.
Two events caught our eye:
Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon at Edinburgh Planetarium, which we went to last Thursday.
This was absolutely fab!
We sat back, listened and watched as 360 degrees surround sound and visuals transported us back to the 1970’s and out into space. I’ve never experienced anything quite like it.
I love historical fiction and the period caught my eye too; the twenties, after the end of WW1, when Oxford University first admitted female students.
My attention was captured!
A bit about the book
Eight very different new students arrive at Oxford University to share Corridor Eight, and were soon nicknamed The Eights, because they were so often seen together. From very different backgrounds, these women were thrown together into unlikely, precious friendships, which surprised them all. You can imagine the tension with the male students. Yes, there was curiosity, but also animosity from some of the staff too. (Also to mention here is that Joanna Miller did not shy away from the affects of the war, with both mental and physical injuries) This book cannot be written clinging on to today’s world of enlightenment either, but is to be read, deeply emerged in the times in which it is set.
Two reviews on the back cover were the final hook:
The Times “An inspiring reminder of the trail blazed by clever women of the past,”
but it was Clare Chambers comment which landed the novel on my bedside table,
“I became completely involved in the lives of these pioneering heroines whose friendship is the beating heart of the book.”
I couldn’t have put it better myself.
On putting the book down for the final time, almost reverently, I realised that there was a parallel coincidence with my own life. Last month eight of us met up in Norwich, to celebrate becoming friends 50 years ago this year, when we enrolled on a BEd course to become teachers. We were the first student teachers to embark on a degree course, rather than a Teaching Certificate, pioneers too in a sense. Also, our friendships, forged so many years ago, are a testament to the lasting affection we hold for each other today. We still converse fairly regularly through WhatsApp, and also meet up yearly, whenever we are able.
It was certainly a weekend down memory lane for us all.
Continuing on exploring using AI for key words in my last post, here are the words and phrases suggested by Gemini for MISSING Past and Present:
The key words for the novel MISSING Past and Present by Diana Jackson center around its dual timelines, emotional depth, and social themes. [1]
Core Book Metadata
Tagline: Is life just a roll of a dice?
Author: Diana Jackson
Title: MISSING Past and Present
Series: Mystery Inspired by History Series (Book 2)
Core Plot & Character Keywords
Dorothy Gibbons: The central protagonist, an ex-librarian also known as “Lady Pink Hat”.
The Grange: The empty, historic farmhouse where Dorothy seeks shelter and begins to write.
Millie: An 18th-century aspirant nun who ran away from The Grange, whose story is uncovered through a discovered journal.
Jamal Hussain: A Syrian refugee and asylum seeker fostered by Dorothy.
Ahmed Hussain: Jamal’s brother, whose sudden disappearance adds to the core mystery.
Drumford: The geographic setting where Dorothy walks the lanes.
Dice Roll: A literal and symbolic mechanic Dorothy uses to reflect on the random “highs and lows” of life.
Major Themes & Social Issues
Homelessness: Dorothy’s reality after her life unravels.
Betrayal and Abandonment: The emotional catalysts triggered by her husband’s mysterious disappearance.
Mental Health: A heavy focal point exploring trauma and psychological resilience.
Refugees and Asylum: Explored deeply through Jamal’s narrative arc.
Resilience and Redemption: The ultimate overarching message of the book as the separate character threads tie together.
Genre & Narrative Style
Mystery Inspired by History: The author’s custom classification for her blending of historical facts and fiction.
Dual Timeline / Dual Story: The seamless narrative shifting between the present day and the 18th century.
First-Person Narrative: Diana Jackson’s only novel written from an intimate, first-person perspective.
Haunting / Supernatural: Features an eerie atmosphere, including the ghostly presence of Millie haunting the old estate.
Story Within a Story: Dorothy writing Millie’s historical account while navigating her own isolation.
Yet again my reaction to the task is WOW!
For various personal reasons at the time (covid), my mind could not focus on promotional activities and it did not do nearly as well as MURDER Now and Then, my most successful book on line to date, and yet it is the book of which I am most proud. As one reader said, ‘You have really found your true voice in the novel.’ (My Riduna series were published just as e books took off and the emphasis was getting into bookshops rather than on line)
Here is a link to one of my most read posts of all time which explains why MISSING Past and Present is an Alternative Mystery Genre:
Diana Jackson 