Stories that live on...

Imagine my delight to find The Girl from Simon's Bay featured in a bookshop near the historic naval town which forms the setting for the novel! And, given that the book was published in 2017 - so it has been around for some 9 years - I did not expect to see it so prominently displayed. Also, I noted with amusement, it was placed on shelves earmarked for New Arrivals! 

Writing this novel was a particularly special experience for me. I have lived in Simon's Town on-and-off for over 30 years, and the history of the place has seeped deep into my bones - which was crucial in helping me to steer the plot. 

Yet there's much for itinerant history buffs to appreciate as well: Simon's Town shares substantial connections between South Africa and Britain, dating back to its status as a British enclave from the early 1800s. It was home to the Royal Navy's South Atlantic fleet for some 150 years, complete with an Admiral in Admiralty House! During both World Wars, the naval base and dockyard were key to the security of the Cape Sea Route, and the provisioning and repair of warships. Now, it is the home of the South African Navy.

I suspect Louise, the heroine of the book, would be quietly thrilled to know that her story is still drawing new readers...
Sometimes David surprises me in the passing slide of blue eyes, the timbre of a man's voice, the line of a warship slicing across the bay... 
"Wait!" I stared at the dockyard, trying to make out the ships, his four ships... 
Durban, Achilles, Dorsetshire, Cumberland...