Two Novellas: Ruth and Bybrook Images

Both novellas feature two distinct heroines and whilst BYBROOK IMAGES is my literary tragedy it does contain moments of typical Forest of Dean humour and dialect. It contains strong characterization and is mostly set on the fringes of the Forest and portrays a picture of Gloucester docks as it was. A nascent love affair develops, and a misguided Chinese physician has an unfortunate presence throughout the narrative. Eastdean is a small town many will recognize and apart from the heroine, a Thai girl called Bhuppa, two figures, Dan, a willing native of all-works, and Sir Crispen, a benign aristocrat, are prominent.

RUTH exposes the intolerance of religious bigotry. Extreme religious fundamentalism can breed almost paradoxical evil, and this novella illustrates what can happen when the restrictions of it induce a young girl to rebel. A love affair also transpires and the restrictions imposed result in an inflammatory situation developing and a couple of deaths. The culmination may come as a complete surprise and shows what can happen when the role of women in the Western world is subjected by paternalistic dominance, as it still is in some religious sects.