Delderfield biographer's new novel

























Admirers of East Devon author R.F. Delderfield’s work may remember Fairlynch Museum’s centenary exhibition devoted to him in 2012 and the talk given in Budleigh by his biographer Marion Lindsey-Noble. A re-edition of her book Butterfly Moments was published to mark the 100 years since Delderfield’s birth.

 Since then Exmoor-based Marion has been busy. She’d already followed in the footsteps of Delderfield with her first novel, The Green Sari, published in October 2011. 

 Set in Bangladesh where the former language teacher lived in her twenties, the book was described by its author as a heart-warming read and a bitter-sweet love story.

Now Marion has produced a sequel entitled The Banyan Tree, taking the story forward to the next generation of the Khan family who featured in her first book.

A large Banyan tree stands in the middle of the orphanage in Bangladesh where Ali and his American wife Martha have taken up their new jobs with great idealism. Soon they encounter enormous obstacles and difficulties. Natural and man-made disasters and heart-breaking tragedies make life almost unbearable. Least of all, had they expected that their relationship would suffer. Yet, they are captivated by the magic of this Third World country.

Meanwhile in England, Ali’s mother Karin - the main protagonist in the first volume - regrets having moved in with her ambitious daughter Jasmine and little Esme. As their relationship reaches breaking point, Karin and Jasmine each face their very personal dilemmas.  As news from Bangladesh gets worse, they all have to make life-changing decisions. Whatever happens, the Banyan tree will remain at the centre of their world.

You can buy a copy (ISBN 9780 9557 93240) from Amazon or e-mail directly to marion.lindseynoble@btinternet.com



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

People from the Past: 3. Reg Varney (1916-2008)

Image
Reginald Alfred 'Reg' Varney was an English actor, most notable for his role as a cheerful Cockney bus driver in the 1970s TV sitcom On the Buses . For ten years he lived at Dark Lane House on picturesque Dark Lane in Budleigh Salterton, seen above.  Millions of television viewers remember him with affection. He has been described as belonging to the old school of comedians, with his dislike of much contemporary television and his pride in never using swear words to get a laugh. Varney was born on 11 July 1916 in Canning Town, which was then part of Essex but is now part of East London. His father worked in a rubber factory in Silvertown and he was one of five children who grew up in Addington Road, Canning Town. He was educated at the nearby Star Lane Primary School in West Ham and after leaving school at 14, he worked as a messenger boy at the Regent Palace Hotel, pictured above.  
Read more

WW2 100 – 3 July 1941 – ‘Our beloved son’: Private Stanley John Holloway (1914-41) 12th Battalion, Devonshire Regiment

Image
Continued from 11 June 1941 ‘A German platoon fired a salute of honour over the grave’ FLYING OFFICER PETER HAROLD HOWARD PRITCHARD (1921-41)   https://budleighpastandpresent.blogspot.com/2021/11/ww2-75-11-june-1941-german-platoon.html   Image credit: www.FindaGrave.com Stanley’s sad death at the age of 27 stirred various thoughts in me when I first read about it. He is not listed on Budleigh Salterton’s War Memorial, yet his grave is in St Peter’s Burial Ground on Moor Lane. His family were not local, yet he seems to have been killed while engaged in the highly hazardous work of protecting Budleigh against invasion.   The Commonwealth War Graves Commission records him as a member of the 12 th Battalion, Devonshire Regiment with the Service Number was 5627659. According to the same source, his parents were George and M. Holloway, of Hounslow, Middlesex.   Tackling this WW2 project chronologically as I am, it was clear that Stanley had died on the same day as Private Clifto
Read more

WW2 100 – 23 January 1945 – A tragic accident in Burma: Captain Gerald Arthur Richards (1909-45), Royal Army Medical Corps

Image
Continued from 21 January 1945 FLIGHT SERGEANT RENNIE ARTHUR LOADER (1915-45) Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (RAFVR), 518 Squadron https://budleighpastandpresent.blogspot.com/2021/04/ww2-75-21-january-1945-forecasting-for.html         A photo of Gerald Arthur Richards sent to me by his daughter Louanne   Like a number of war dead whose names are not listed on Budleigh’s War Memorial,  Gerald Arthur Richards is mentioned by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) as having a link with the town through his wife Kirstine. It was difficult to confirm that link, but there were enough intriguing aspects to Gerald’s story to raise questions that I wanted to see answered. Further research led to more East Devon links – to Honiton, Exmouth and further afield. In a very roundabout way I finally made contact with his daughter Louanne, to whom I am grateful for providing information about the family, not least some family photos like the one above. Gerry, as he was kno
Read more