Realisation

When Jane, a feisty, opinionated young woman arrives in Hawaii from Grand Britain, an attacker abducts her at gunpoint. She escapes, only to discover a young girl in grave danger. Killing the assailant was her only option. Jane's innocence destroyed, she wonders how and why she killed so easily. Was she psychotic?

Afraid of reporting the crime, Jane flees the scene and reunites with her family. Their stay in Maui ends abruptly when a fanatical dictator declares war on Europe, precipitating World War III. The family escapes by sea; the voyage ends when a fierce cyclone fueled by climate change drives them ashore.

A beautiful tropical island becomes the family home while they wait for the war to end. As countries drop off the radar, they realise their daughter will have little to no chance of a normal life. Jane trains as a Celtic Scáthach warrior, determined to protect her family. Molly, a scarlet macaw, is her only friend.

Violent raiders invade the island, causing mayhem. A normal coming of age for Jane is a fleeting dream. Instead, horrendous events and guilt thrust Jane into premature adulthood. She is still looking for answers. Why are men so brutal to women? What have women done to deserve their fate?

The novel takes an unflinching look at the corrosive effect of patriarchal mores on the human spirit and is an extrapolation of political events of the 21st century. An extremist Supreme Court overturned Roe versus Wade in 2022, the beginning of Christian sharia law. In July 2024, the same court ruled that a sitting president had immunity from prosecution for 'official' acts. November 2024 voters elected a convicted felon as the 47th President of the United States of America.