List Of Writers

MEAD, JEAN

4 Norton Villas, Gilfach Road, Penmaenmawr, Conwy LL34 6HU
Email jean@jeanmead.wanadoo.co.uk 
Website http://jeanmead.mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk

Dorothea Quarry of Talysarn inspired Jean to begin a trilogy, The Widow Makers. She has other books published under a pseudonym but now her energy is channelled to writing historical fiction. She has written many dozens of short stories for UK and Australian mainstream magazines. Jean is a member of the Society of Authors, an Associate member Academi of Wales and a member of the Royal Society of Literature.

Review:

"…Mead’s novel The Widow Makers is inspiring reading; a classic tale, full of all the ingredients which make for the finest novels. Based in the mid-19th century, it tells the story of the young Standish family, who move from the coalfields of Lancashire to the slate quarries of North Wales in search of a better livelihood. Daily life is much like their Welsh neighbours’; death comes in the cruellest form to the village, but those who remain thrive, despite desperate poverty, barbaric working conditions and the cruel winter climate. The eldest Standish boy, Tommy, is something of a changeling; he desires a different life and ruthlessly goes in pursuit of his dream of the grandeur and riches of the landowners’ class.

Mead’s exceptional talent as a raconteur lets us share the family’s emotional rollercoaster ride, as they lose the eldest son, as he grasps the riches that are so important to him, regardless of the hurt and misery he causes his family and anyone who dares to step in his way. Joe, his father, is a gentle giant of a man and through his eyes we see the beauty and majesty of the Welsh countryside, thus giving this book a greater substance. My only criticism of The Widow Makers was that it ended too soon; I felt bereft! A sequel, please…"
Norma Penfold, The Welsh Books Council at http://www.gwales.com/


Selected Publications:
The Widow Makers (Pegasus Elliot Mackenzie Publishers, 2005)



The Widow Makers (Pegasus Elliot Mackenzie Publishers, 2005)

Following a pit disaster in Manchester, Joe Standish takes his wife Emily and tiny son Tommy to live in North Wales where he settles to the hard and dangerous existence as a quarryman. Home life for Emily and Joe is happy but for the small problem of Tommy’s increasing wilfulness. As the boy grows, his cleverness comes to the fore and he catches the attention of the quarry owner, Bertram Bellamy, who offers to educate the boy with his own son. A blend of fact and fiction, the story traces the lives of two very different families.

To purchase the title, please visit Jean’s website or click on the book cover to enter amazon.co.uk.