Mum’s novel highlights wartime heroics

Mother-of-four Ria Frances, wrote ‘Inflicted’ in the small hours of the morning while suffering insomnia after giving birth to her twins prematurely.

The story follows troubled teenager Theo Drew, who meets a Holocaust survivor Anna Levinsky and the friendship that follows.

Ria, 42, who was a primary school teacher before becoming a full time mum, said: “Theo’s story was inspired by the immense strength of people who experience mental illness, often seeking help in the face of other’s prejudice.

“It tackles the difficult subjects of depression, self harm and mental and physical bullying. The stigma of mental illness and its pervasive ability to affect sufferers and prevent them from being honest about their pain is a strength of the novel.

“A boy is in the pit of despair. He’s 16, he doesn’t know how to make friends and his mum’s suffering with depression. That’s something that’s close to my heart. If you’re a teacher, you see children who are really suffering. They feel stupid.”

She added: “Anna’s story was inspired by my fascination with history and the quiet heroic deeds performed by normal people especially during wartime.

“It never ceases to amaze me that small kindnesses inspiring profound happiness may be found in the darkest of times.

“During my research, I stumbled upon the information about Albert Göring, brother of Herman Göring a prominent Nazi, who reportedly rescued Jews from the ghetto under the pretence of needing them to help in his arms factory.

“Another part of the novel is about a boy, who hides Jews in a warehouse and looks after them.

“Anna’s story is littered with such kindness in a time of extraordinary cruelty.”

Ria needs to get 250 pre-orders of her book to get an international publishing contract with Britain’s Next Bestseller. She has about 160 pre-orders so far. For more information and to order her book go to www.britainsnextbestseller.co.uk/index.php/book/index/Inflicted