Roche, who thinks he saw an angel, and who serves
his flock so faithfully and gives them hope throughout
the pestilence.
Haunting and evocative, shocking and intense,
the novel portrays in graphic detail the suffering and
gruesome deaths of the plague victims, but explores
also the nature of faith, hope and the courage of those
who lived and died during that terrible time. This is
the book that first awoke in me my interest in history,
and the passion for the Middle Ages that informs so
many of my own books now.
It must, of course, be remembered that although
set in 2054, Doomsday Book was published in the
early 1990s when much of the technology which we
now take for granted had not been invented, although
the author has invented other remarkable gadgets (and
a way to time-travel) that may well come into being
one day. But these trifles are irrelevant when set
against a touching and gripping drama that still has
the power to keep me turning the pages and reading
late into the night.
About Felicity Pulman:
Felicity is an award-winning author of numerous
short stories and novels for children and teenagers,
mostly notably Ghost Boy, the Shalott trilogy, The
Janna Mysteries, and A Ring Through Time. Ghost
Boy (a time-slip back to 1881 and an outbreak of
smallpox at the Quarantine Station in Sydney) forms
the basis of a popular Ghost Boy tour at the QS for
students studying the novel, and is currently under
development for a movie. The Janna Mysteries (a sixbook medieval crime series) are about to be
republished for the adult fiction market under the title
The Janna Chronicles. The first novel, Blood Oath,
will be published by Momentum Books in midJanuary 2015, with the next five books following
every month thereafter.
Felicity’s novel, titled I, Morgana, is her first
novel for adults. It draws on her continuing
fascination with the legend of King Arthur, and in
particular the character of the much-reviled Morgan le
Fay. I, Morgana tells the true story of a young
woman, promised a kingdom but betrayed by
everyone she has ever loved and trusted. Her revenge
will bring down a kingdom and break her heart, with
ramifications for our own time unless she can learn
the lessons of the past in order to save our future. I,
Morgana is published by Momentum Books, the epublishing arm of Pan Macmillan, but is also
available in paperback. Go to
http://momentumbooks.com.au/books/i-morgana
for more details. Felicity was recently awarded the
inaugural Di Yerbury writer’s residency in the UK,
and will spend three months in England next year
researching and writing the sequel to I, Morgana,
with the working title, Return to Camelot. Go to
Felicity’s website and blog to find information about
her books, her research, and her tips on writing:
www.felicitypulman.com.au
An extract from her novel I, Morgana follows -