With the lovely harbour of Maó as a backdrop, the novel described by its author as "a love letter to Menorca" was presented to the public on board the Minerva's floating restaurant, the "Anita", on Saturday evening. A perfect setting for Jo Eames to talk about her first published book which is set on the island and spans two time periods - the present day and flashbacks to the 1930's and the era of the Spanish Civil War.
Basically the story of two women, "The Faithless Wife" relates the tale of a modern-day woman who has come to the island, leaving her old life behind, and an elderly Menorcan lady who was a young girl during the Spanish Civil War. Although the book is about their two love stories and how they become intertwined, it goes far beyond a simple romantic novel and draws an amazingly accurate portrait of the island and its inhabitants, proof of the depth of knowledge that the author has gleaned in over twenty years of visiting and staying at her parents-in-law's house on the north coast.
Fictitious characters?
Despite Jo's insistence that the characters are entirely fictitious 'old-timers' on the island may feel that they 'know' at least one of the individuals in the story. Apart from being spell-bound by the unravelling tale, readers with local knowledge will also have the intriguing challenge of trying to place the different scenes, beautifully and accurately detailed as a result of the meticulous research that has gone into the background, whether it be geographical, geological, cultural or historical.
With her first two attempts at novels having received "glowing rejections" from publishers, Jo and her husband, Hamish Stoddart, set up Peach Publishing as "a string to the bow" of Peach Pubs, their chain of gastro pubs which now numbers 13 outlets in the heart of England and for which Jo is now the chief wine taster; fine wines and good food using British seasonal ingredients being the chain's focus.
"The Faithless Wife" was launched in England in June and since then has sold over 1,200 copies despite not being widely advertised other than by word of mouth. In Menorca, it can be purchased from Maggy Dougan at the Comercial Papelera on the Maó polígono for just 10 euros (7 euros for more than 5 copies), one of which will go to charity.
As the Honorary British Consul, Deborah Hellyer MBE, commented during her presentation speech, it makes an excellent read and an ideal Christmas gift.
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