West Sligo author reaches Amazon best-sellers list
A Sligo author hit number eight on the Amazon Irish crime fiction best-sellers list last week ahead of the release of her new book.
Sharon Thompson, originally from Skreen/Dromard, will release her first book, ‘ The Abandoned’ this Thursday (January 25 th).
Such is the popularity of the book, before the physical copy even went on sale it had reached the top ten of Amazon’s Irish crime fiction best-sellers list, through pre-orders and kindle downloads.
The book follows Peggy Bowden who has not had an easy life. As a teenager her mother was committed to an asylum and then a local priest forced her into an abusive marriage. But when her husband dies in an accident Peggy sees an opportunity to start again and trains as a midwife.
In 1950s Dublin it is not easy for a woman to make a living and Peggy sees a chance to start a business and soon a lucrative maternity home is up and running. But when Peggy realizes that the lack of birth control is an issue for women, she uses their plight as a way to make more money. Very soon Peggy is on the wrong side of the law.
What makes a woman decide to walk down a dark path? Can Peggy ever get back on the straight and narrow? Or will she have to pay for her crimes?
Set against the backdrop of Ireland in the 1950’s The Abandoned tells the story of one woman’s fight for survival and her journey into the underbelly of a dangerous criminal world where she becomes a ‘ backstreet abortionist’ almost.
The topic of the book is time- ly, given that the country is set to vote in a referendum this year on the 8th Amendment.
“It is timely. And I think that’s a good thing,” Sharon told The Sligo Champion.
“I’m told by advance readers that it’s good. They seemed to like the character and that’s quite positive.”
The book came about when Sharon was researching female figures from the 1950s.
“I was researching other stuff like historical figures and researching women from the 1950s who were maybe considered criminals, or considered maybe not nice.
“A lot of the women kind of merged into the one character. I kind of started not knowing where it would end up.”
It’s taken over a year for Sharon to write this book. She would write a bit, leave it for a period of time, and eventually come back to it.
“I would sort of write and come back to it. I wouldn’t have been writing with a view to it being published, that was obviously a dream down the line.”
This book veers slightly away from what Sharon would usually write.
“I write bits for Donegal Women, IndulgeMe. This would be quite different from anything else I’ve written. I usually write women’s fiction. I like writing dark stuff when it’s a longer length.”
The book has so far sold well on Kindle version and Sharon is hoping that the physical book will do just as well.
“It’s doing well on Kindle sales, I hope the actual book does as well.”
‘ The Abandoned’ will be available to buy at Liber Bookshop from Thursday, with signed copies also available.