Candidly Carol

In this extremely original and creative story we share the present world of successful author Myra Vilas, a beautiful and confident woman with a baby daughter, but a dreadful secret, as she becomes inextricably linked with her latest novel; an account of a dystopian future set in the 24th century.Readers are quickly enticed from the present time into the future as the chapters of Myra’s manuscript are unveiled and her words unfold a disturbing story that keeps us guessing.

Meanwhile the narrative of Myra’s own life is revealed and we become aware that she is dealing with loss and post-natal depression, unable to open to anyone but her closest friend, despite her outward assertiveness. As her manuscript evolves we find that the fictional future Myra is creating contains an enigmatic portrayal of characters from her actual world, with names being anagrams or puns of their real-world counterparts, but their stories darkly different.

A Parallel Life becomes a broodingly and deeply psychological account of a woman who is beset with a traumatic and emotional past that culminates in the most extreme despair life can offer.