AMALGAMATED ARTS
Author’s Comments & Reader’s Reviews
WILLOW MOON
A historical adventure story set in China in 1872 that tells the moving story of British trader, Richard Covington, and Lihua, the Chinese girl he loved.
In Christie’s London auction rooms in 2012, a painting by Chinese Master Bingwen, called The Willow Moon, sells for a record price. As the delighted buyer, James Covington, leaves the auction he is confronted by a young Chinese woman. She produces an old sepia photograph showing The Willow Moon in the possession of a beautiful Chinese girl named Lihua and standing beside her in the photograph is an Englishman whom James instantly recognises as his ancestor Richard Covington.
The exciting and deeply moving tale the girl then relates, handed down by each generation of her family, is the story of Tián Shuĩ, a small village in China. James learns that Richard Covington was a hero who saved the rural community from the terrorising bandit leader Meng and married Lihua, the daughter of the head man. Their wedding gift was the painting by Bingwen of the rare lunar eclipse called The Willow Moon. But the extraordinary story of the painting and its strange and wonderful journey to Christie’s one hundred and forty years later, brings James Covington more than the true history of a work of art.
Michael Heath describes his inspiration and the writing process of this novel –
Most people tend to view the armed forces as a collective ‘whole’ – a unit that functions as a single entity. Reality, of course, is completely the opposite. Every participant in military action is a unique individual and suffers the trauma of conflict in an entirely personal way. Those who undergo the horrors of violence and war are trained to function efficiently under fire – but no amount of training can compensate for the emotional stresses that leave deep inner scars, and the present military authorities are only just beginning to realise the true, wide-spread extent of post traumatic shock syndrome and the hundreds of cases that are unreported.
I wanted to tell a story that shows the need for better understanding of those who go to war on behalf of their country and return with life-long emotional scars. To be effective, of course, a story must engage and entertain and keep the reader guessing, but at the same time it can provide information that has perhaps hitherto been unknown or unquestioned. This is what I endeavoured to do with the story of Legacy. It’s a crime thriller with a constantly turning plot that keeps the reader guessing – and, so far, no-one has suspected the final twist. At the same time, it lays before the reader a viewpoint of the real tragedy of war that will, hopefully, cause people to reconsider their view of military conflict and its consequences.
Reader’s Reviews
“A great book. its intense and fascinating as well as well written – It transports the reader into nineteenth century China and while reading it you can easily imagine the beautiful places and landcapes. It’s a romantic adventure story that really grips you. An excellent book I would definitely recommend.” – Amazon Customer
“Top Class Read – I was amazed at the way the author created such an authentic feel for China and its culture in that period of its history. I loved the fine detail and the little things that came so readily to life. An exciting adventure and a great love story!” – Boysie
“Five stars – This was another tragic love story which was full of history, adventure, and again a great read with a twist at the end.” – Jillian Turner
“I have greatly enjoyed reading Willow Moon and Conquered Hearts. They are wonderful stories and I couldn’t put them down until they were finished.” – Alison