Former resident pens fiction novel
According to Flynn, those who have read the book have given it a four-star rating.
Loneliness, friendship and the development of resilience are themes dealt with in a novel written by former Brenthurst resident Rosemary Flynn.
The 69-year-old, who was the head girl of Brakpan High School in 1968, was inspired to write the book Well anyway, I Still Have Friends after listening to the experiences of a woman she met through her work as a clinical psychologist.
Flynn’s special interest is in health psychology for children, teenagers and adults, guiding them towards mental health and wellness.
She has been responsible for both supervision and training in that field and has been part of a diabetes care team for many years.
Flynn has written two “work-related” books about the emotions of children and teenagers with diabetes.
She has also written articles for many diabetes-related publications like Diabetes Lifestyle, Diabetes Focus, The South African Journal of Diabetes and The Journal of Endocrinology.
Her step into fiction came after she met an 89-year-old woman at the Centre for Diabetes and Endocrinology in Houghton, Johannesburg.
Read: Nog ‘n boek vloei uit skrywer se pen
“She came to talk to me and told me her story and I said to her you should write your story,” said Flynn.
“The two of us liaised and talked, and this book emerged.”
The book is based on the true story of Margot who lives in a village in Europe at the start of World War Two.
She faces devastating loss at the age of two and lives through the many difficulties of the occupation by the Nazis and the Russians.
As soon as she is able, she travels alone through war-torn Europe, searching for a place to belong.
She faces challenges that seem insurmountable but finds friends in the most unlikely places to help her get through to the West and then to South Africa.
The book took three years for Flynn to write and was published by an international publisher.
While the process was long, Flynn, who lives in Bryanston, found the experience enjoyable.
“It was fun writing it,” she said.
According to Flynn, those who have read the book have given it a four-star rating.
She describes it as “light reading and a good holiday read”, adding that it is suitable for teenagers.
For more information about the book visit www.rosemaryflynn.co.za
Have a story?
Contact the newsroom by emailing: Thelma Koorts (editor) brakpanherald@caxton.co.za
or Stacy Slatter (news editor) stacys@caxton.co.za
or Miné Fourie (journalist) minev@caxton.co.za
Remember to visit the Brakpan Herald on the following social media platforms:
Follow us:
