The Remarkable Miss Digby
The Remarkable Miss Digby
Patricia Donovan
Published by Mary Egan Publishing 13 March 2021, RRP $29.95
A stunning debut historical novel set in Syria about a woman who refused to be constrained by the customs of her time.
In 1853, only a lunatic would consider crossing the Syrian desert to see the Roman ruins at Palmyra. Most travellers from Europe rash enough to venture into the desert are never seen again, and a woman considering such a journey, without her husband, is preposterous. When Jane Digby, the Lady Ellenborough, granddaughter of the Earl of Leicester, informs the British Consul in Damascus that this is what she intends to do, he quickly learns she's a woman who brooks no argument.
Jane Digby's life until now has never been conventional and nor, with so many marriages and love affairs behind her, has it been without scandal. In Syria she hopes to settle at last, find sanctuary, and fulfil her long-time wish to establish an Arabian horse stud. What she discovers there is a world of recklessness and integrity, of cruelty and desire, and where her own passion is stirred more than she ever dared hope for.
The author is donating her earnings from book sales to ReliefAid, an international organisation founded by New Zealander Mike Seawright. It works on the ground in conflict zones, distributing shelter materials, such as blankets, tarpaulins, cooking equipment and children's clothing to families that would otherwise receive no help.
'Syria stays with you. And what has happened there – the civil war – is a travesty. More than six million people have been displaced within Syria, 80 percent of whom are women and children. They have lost their homes due to conflict and have been left isolated, vulnerable, and without life's basic necessities. ReliefAid is working to help these families.' Patricia Donovan.
A note from the author:
'While I began writing this novel in 2015, my inspiration for it came from a visit to Syria in 2008. I was travelling from Damascus across the desert to see the Roman ruins at Palmyra when my guide told me about Jane Digby. Until then, I'd never heard of her and was immediately entranced. Jane was a woman who refused to be constrained by the customs of her time and flouted convention at every turn. I was also entranced by Syria, and in particular the desert, and saw a great story in what Jane's life there might have been like. Syria is a rich and romantic place – and now, due to the civil war, it is a lost world. I wanted to capture it.
I've followed faithfully what is known of Jane Digby's life and then filled in the gaps to create a story. While it's a historical novel, the issues it addresses – feminism, religion, community – are as relevant today as they ever were.'
About the author:
PATRICIA DONOVAN grew up in Christchurch, New Zealand, and graduated from the University of Canterbury with a Master's Degree (with honours) in English Literature.
After graduation she worked in corporate communications in Australia and New Zealand, and is the author of a comprehensive reference book for the profession:
Communications. The Four Essential Steps to Best Practice.
She is a member of the New Zealand Society of Authors and the New Zealand Writers Guild, and The Remarkable Miss Digby is her debut novel.