Berkeley writer takes readers back to old England
Added: (Wed Oct 26 2022)
Pressbox (Press Release) -
Californian academic Rich Wareham is transporting readers back to Elizabethan England with his five-star-rated debut novel.
The 57-year-old from Berkeley has just released The Midwife of Dreams to critical acclaim.
Pitching real-life characters such as Shakespeare and magician Doctor John Dee into a world of magic and fairies has led captivated reviewers to describe Rich’s highly original adventure as ‘engaging’, ‘entertaining’ and being a ‘great story’. Critic Bart Fong stated: “I didn’t want to put it down.”
Rich, who gained an MA from the Shakespeare Institute in Stratford-upon-Avon, admits influences for The Midwife of Dreams came from years of reading and research – as well as a prolific writer uncle. He explained: “It was a coming together of my long-established interest in Shakespeare, Tudor history, folklore, fantasy novels, and mysteries. In the beginning, I asked myself a question: ‘What would a murder mystery look like in a world where magic was real?’. Though not strictly a murder mystery, Midwife is the result.
“I’ve been lucky to have the unending support of my wife, Lois, and the inspiration from two people that are both, themselves, writers. One is a poet and close friend from college days, Heidi Stephenson, who was always convinced that I had a novel in me, and the other is my uncle, Andrew Wareham, who is a legitimate phenomenon and the most prolific author outside of Barbara Cartland that I’ve ever heard of; last time I checked he was working on his 90th published historical novel!”
The Midwife of Dreams follows the fortunes of 12-year-old half-Moor orphan, Amy Bassano, as she lands at the door of Queen Elizabeth’s court magician in the late 16th century. As a young Will Shakespeare attempts to escape his father’s shame by becoming a courier and spy, Amy attempts to earn the trust of Doctor John Dee. With the occasional murder, a sprinkling of magic, religion tensions, and mounting conspiracies thrown in, The Midwife of Dreams becomes a glorious fantasy adventure that is difficult to put down.
Rich added: “The Midwife of Dreams is a story about identities. It’s the tale of young girl, born into a world of Elizabethan magic, murder, faerie conspiracies, and religious ‘Cold War’, who learns, to her horror, that she is the nexus of a plot to radically alter reality itself. It tells of her struggle to outwit her destiny and find her own path - to discover and exert her ‘self’ in the face of those powerful forces and factions who strive to impose their will upon her. Ultimately, it’s an origin story, weaving together the paths of the greatest magician and the greatest writer of the Elizabethan Age.”
Set around London, Lancashire, the fantastical Forest of Arden, and the fabled faerie realm of Elfhame, The Midwife of Dreams provides a vivid glimpse into an alternate Elizabethan England.
Encouraged by the response to his debut, Rich plans to make The Midwife of Dreams the opening book of a four-part series.
For more details, visit Amazon.com and search for R A Wareham, where the paperback and Kindle formats of The Midwife of Dreams are both available.
Notes to the editor
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