A Necessary Blessing (The Roelswick Chronicles)

"A novel of family secrets, ancient magic and healing, perfect for fans of Barbara Erskine and Christina Courtenay."Ruth Turner has a unique ability. She can walk through time, seeing the village, religious community and inhabitants as they used to be. Abandoned by her philandering husband, she makes new friends amongst village leaders, Greg Iles, the village blacksmith, Granny Compson, a retired farmer’s wife and Lord Peter Brazington, the prickly Earl of Haverliegh, owner of Roelswick Estate. As Ruth learns more about village history, she uncovers many secrets, which change her life and affect her closest friends, putting her at the centre of ghostly retribution. Can she use her new knowledge to unravel the cause of all the trouble before her community is torn apart again? A Necessary Blessing is the first book in the Roeslwick Chronicles by Sarah Head. Set deep in the heart of the Cotswolds, it charts the story of a rural village where modern and ancient practice work side by side.Where past beliefs inform present customs, promoting future action, we understand how water is a necessary blessing to us all.Praise for A Necessary Blessing“A Necessary Blessing is a lovely, gentle story, unusual and intriguing, and steeped in folklore, druidic practices and supernatural abilities. The village setting is engaging and almost timeless. Although the heroine is downtrodden and abused at first, her fellow villagers unexpectedly come to her rescue and she begins to turn her life around. I very much enjoyed watching her find her place in the world and grow in confidence, and I willed her on to defeat evil in all its guises.” Christina Courtenay"A gem of a book""Well rounded, memorable characters make this book come to life, put together with a fast changing plot, the past and the present meet with an outcome well worth the read.""A five star ★ read."

About the Author

ABOUT THE AUTHORBorn in a small North Cotswold village, Sarah grew up listening to stories while helping her family around their arable farm. As a small child she climbed the steps of the medieval water cross, singing hymns in the 11th century Norman church while her grandmother played the harmonium.Her landscape was steeped in history, from Neolithic henge through Roman roads to the second Civil War. Living halfway between two villages on their new farm and sent away to secondary school, isolated holidays left plenty of time for dreaming about the people who lived before.After studying social policy at university, she made a career supporting NHS patients in many different forms. She has kept in touch with her Cotswold roots, providing relief organ duties to several villages for many years, like her mother and grandmother before her. Writing inspired her to study the medicinal use of plants and become a spiritual healer. Now, she teaches herbwifery on the family farm and music in the town where she lives with her husband. She enjoys exploring different parts of the UK to discover ancient sites and healing wells. A Necessary Blessing is her first published novel.

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