Spotlight of Low Road by Katharine Quarmby

PHOTO SOURCE:
TYPORAMA
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LOW ROAD

KATHARINE QUARMBY

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ALL INFORMATION IN THIS POST IS COURTESY OF RINA GILL | HEAD OF COMMUNICATIONS | UNBOUND

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Based on real events, this gripping novel tells the story of two young women who fall in love at a refuge for the destitute in 1820’s London.

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June 22

Unbound

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PRAISE FOR LOW ROAD:

 

A darkly gripping picaresque tale of cruelty, courage and kindness as an orphaned girl survives poverty and injustice to seek love on the other side of the world’ - Maggie Gee, author of The White Family

'Vibrant... Quarmby immerses the reader into the early nineteenth century with this page-turning tale of forbidden passion and a woman’s ultimate triumph over adversity.’ -Michelle Styles, author of The  Gladiator's Honour

This is a novel about love, betrayal, destitution, and redemption. A heart-rending story, impeccably researched, packed with rich and realistic detail, and reminiscent of the work of Charlotte Brontë and Sarah Waters.’ - Jane Harris, author of The Observations

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ABOUT LOW ROAD:

Norfolk, 1813. In the quiet Waveney Valley, the body of a woman – Mary Tyrell – is staked through the heart after her death by suicide. 

She had been under arrest for the suspected murder of her new-born child. 

Mary leaves behind a young daughter, Hannah, who is later sent away to
the Refuge for the Destitute in London, where she will be trained for a life of domestic service.

It is at the Refuge that Hannah meets Annie Simpkins, a fellow resident, and together they forge a friendship that deepens into passionate love. 

But the strength of this bond is put to the test when the girls are caught stealing from the Refuge's laundry, and they are sentenced to transportation to Botany Bay, setting them on separate paths that may never cross again.

Drawing on real events, The Low Road is a gripping, atmospheric tale that brings to life the forgotten voices of the past – convicts, servants, the rural poor – as well as a moving evocation of love that blossomed in the face of prejudice and ill fortune.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Katharine Quarmby has written non-fiction, short stories and books for children.  

The Low Road is her first novel.

Her non-fiction works include Scapegoat: Why We Are Failing Disabled People and No Place to Call Home: Inside the Real Lives of Gypsies and Travellers. 

She is also an investigative journalist and editor, with particular interests in disability, the environment, race and ethnicity, and the care system. 

Her reporting has appeared in outlets including the Guardian, The Economist, The Atlantic, The Times, the Telegraph, New Statesman and The Spectator. 

Katharine lives in London.

For further information or an interview with Katharine Quarmby please contact Rina Gill on rina@unbound.co.uk | Tel: 07590842826

Katharine's family moved to Harleston, Norfolk, when she was seven. 

She still retains links with the area and she is a member of the local Historical Society.  

The book came about when Katharine and her family, all good walkers, discovered a new local walk which brought them across the tragic story of Mary Tyrell.  

Katharine researched the book whilst resident in Harleston making many visits to local archives and museums.

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