Sixteen year old Megan wants to be a doctor. When Megan volunteers at a residential home she meets Lady. Lady tells a fragmented and confusing story of a duke who never aged; his fate tied to the roses that grew in his garden. As Megan hears more of Lady's tale she is intrigued to know whether the duke existed or if he is a figment of Lady's imagination. As Megan embarks on unravelling the mystery of the beast a hidden family secret emerges connected with her West Indian heritage... will it shatter her life forever?Recommendations:It's really interesting seeing the story told in a different way. The characters are the strong points in E.L. Parfitt's story. Megan is a likable, relatable girl who struggles to be the odd one out at school and in her extended family. She is mature and introspective and not as interested in "nail varnish colours, gossip and possible weddings" as her female cousins. It's also refreshing for Megan's family to be immigrants from the West Indies, an unusual heritage in YA stories. It helps that I'm also West Indian! (silverpetticoat)If you like retellings you should read this book… There is much more going on than meets the eye and Megan is going to have the biggest shock in her life... The plot was very well thought through and involves some harsh subjects that you didn't see coming (Desert Rose) E L Parfitt is a long-time an admirer of Pratchett, King and Scottish authors such as Maggie O'Farrell and John Burnside. You can find her avoiding polite company while writing in coffee shops, parks... and well, that would be telling. Author of Temptation & Mozzarella, Shattered Roses and Seascape, Emma was honored to study creative writing from Douglas Dunn and John Burnside at St Andrews and went on to plan and implement creative writing courses for a diverse range of places such as Scottish Widows, Exeter and Warwick University and Huntercombe Hospital (a clinic for young girls with eating disorders). She also holds a Bsc, MA and PhD in biology, literature and storytelling. She would like to write for a living and research storytelling but life has a way of demanding the bills are paid first! Keep an eye out for the forthcoming book: Young people, learning & storytelling (2018).
