The book, which was published by Wild Pressed Books in February 2023, is a contemporary story set in Restoration England in the immediate aftermath of the Great Fire of London.
Newly widowed protagonist Lucie Smith had expected to live a retired life of quiet contemplation; however 1666 sees her with no option but to keep working in her late husband’s shop. Not only that, but Lucie’s house gradually refills with people in need of shelter and care. Her son Simon also arrives home, seeking refuge from the London blaze.
Sara reflected: “The reader goes with Lucie as she works through her complex emotions after being widowed. The grieving process affects the whole of Lucie's being and produces physical and mental conditions.
“Lucie's loss is compounded by her being obliged to carry on her late husband's apothecary business as otherwise the townsfolk would be denied access to remedies and treatments while a more permanent solution is found. Lucie has to juggle running the shop with supporting the newly qualified midwife she has trained and still attending the occasional delivery.
“The novel is timely as the place of post-menopausal women in modern society is attracting more attention, yet they are seldom given starring roles in fiction. It connects to a readership which rarely sees themselves depicted in the central figure of historical fiction while contextualising a key moment in British history.”
This November, Sara will be running a workshop at Being Human Festival, the UK’s national festival of the humanities. The workshop is called ‘The Reasoning with Ragged Recipes’ and will take place at Tamworth Castle on 18 November. It will focus on recipes handed down through generations and invite visitors to participate in interactive workshops based on these recipes. Participants will examine handwritten recipes describing how to preserve vegetables, make poetry from the recipes, photograph still life and learn about early dining etiquette.
Online booking for this event will be live soon via Tamworth Castle website