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Back A Place to Call Home
Chapters (62)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
  15. 13
  16. 14
  17. 15
  18. 16
  19. 17
  20. 18
  21. 19
  22. 20
  23. 21
  24. 22
  25. 23
  26. 24
  27. 25
  28. 26
  29. 27
  30. 28
  31. 29
  32. 30
  33. 31
  34. 32
  35. 33
  36. 34
  37. 35
  38. 36
  39. 37
  40. 38
  41. 39
  42. 40
  43. 41
  44. 42
  45. 43
  46. 44
  47. 45
  48. 46
  49. 47
  50. 48
  51. 49
  52. 50
  53. 51
  54. 52
  55. 53
  56. 54
  57. Epilogue
  58. Author’s Note
  59. Acknowledgments
  60. More from Fay Keenan
  61. About the Author
  62. About Boldwood Books

A cheer went up from the guests as Charlie and Holly turned back to one another and kissed. As their lips met, a shaft of sunlight bathed them warmly, and the ley lines seemed to quiver under their feet.

‘Welcome home to Willowbury, Mr Thorpe,’ Holly smiled as they parted.

‘Thank you, Mrs Thorpe,’ Charlie replied. ‘I wouldn’t want to ever be anywhere else.’

Author’s Note

This novel was, in part, inspired by real-life events. At the time of writing, National Health England is still in stalemate with a major drug company over the provision of next generation drugs for cystic fibrosis patients. Because the issue is far more complicated than can be covered in a work of fiction like this, I have intentionally simplified the processes by which these drugs become available through the NHS, suggesting that Parliament is the body to make these decisions, and I have not covered the complex and involved job of the National Institute for Clinical Excellence and NHS England in real-life decisions of this nature, and the important role of the pharmaceutical companies themselves. I have mentioned, fleetingly, the role of the Health and Social Care Committee, as testimony by various witnesses to this committee on the CF treatment issue was both incredibly moving and very informative. These decisions were made purely for reasons of narrative and drama.

In no way are my creative choices intended to diminish the importance of the issue, or the processes involved in coming to a decision of this nature. Having read the Hansard reports of the debates about CF drug funding, I owe a debt of gratitude to the real-life politicians who have been debating the issue both before and after the public petition to move the discussion on towards a satisfactory resolution. The ‘Orkambi and Cystic Fibrosis’ debate of 19 March 2018 made fascinating reading, as did the Adjournment Debate of the same name of 4 February 2019, and I am grateful to all of those who took part in that for the insight it gave me into the language and form of a parliamentary debate, and the complexity of the specific issues involved here. I hope that, in doing a small amount to raise awareness of this issue, I can be forgiven for playing a little fast and loose with parliamentary procedure in the name of a good story.