Rhubarb 2020

ST EDWARD’S r h u b a r b

BOOKS

A Sense of Smell and other stories By Richard Newell (B, 1958-1963) Richard was born in England and educated at Teddies and London universities. After nearly thirty years practising medicine in hospital and general practice, mostly in South Africa, he went to sea as a cruise ship’s doctor until he retired and hung up his stethoscope aged 67. After his retirement, he decided to try his hand at writing and he has recently self- published this collection of short stories.

I Defeated Depression: A Daughter’s Amazing Recovery and Her Father’s Loving Response By Roger Hyslop (G, 1956-1961) – using the noms de plume Samantha and Richard Olivier

B O O K S

The issue of mental health has been high profile both in the UK and all over the world for some time and statistics now claim that one in four of us will suffer from some form of mental illness at some stage in our lives. Roger Hyslop

The title story explores the power of the sense of smell as a trigger for memory. There are eight stories in this little book including one which tells of an unexpected relationship on a Connecticut beach developing between two women who have lost their husbands and another which charts a disturbed adolescent boy’s path to resolution. The book has received a number of excellent reviews and the author has been commended for his insight into human behaviour and sensitive characterisation. “ Beautifully written – I hope a novel will be next.” (by Sylvia Whu) “ Gentle emotive stories, delicately written .” (Amazon review) Richard’s debut book can be found at Amazon and through his website www.richardnewellbooks.com . He plans to write his memoirs next.

(G, 1956-1961) writes about his younger daughter’s 30- year battle with anxiety and depression. Because of the highly personal story which is told in graphic detail, the authors have adopted the noms de plume of Samantha and Richard Olivier and have also changed the names of family and friends mentioned. Roger admits that he chose the name Olivier because he loved acting at school and Laurence Olivier (D,1921-1924) was his boyhood hero. Incidentally, he was also for some time a pupil at St. Edward’s! I Defeated Depression describes his daughter’s rollercoaster life which culminates in her ability now, in her forties, to manage her condition so that she is happier than she has ever been. In an inspired twist on the oft-told tale of depression, her father responds, chapter by chapter, with how he and his wife supported her, helping her both practically and emotionally to finally defeat this insidious disease. Realising at the age of 15 that she was gay, Sammie was bullied at school which led to a series of failed relationships and an inability to hold down office jobs. She describes her suicide attempts with painful candour, but eventually finds solace in the company of dogs and a fulfilling life in America, with a successful job and a community of wonderful friends. Sammie also describes how she overcame her problems, and Richard explains how he and his wife reacted to her long illness. He says that their motivation to write this highly emotional story was the hope that it might help others who have been on the same journey. Sammie has spoken publicly about her experiences and is also now helping other people who are suffering from similar conditions. I Defeated Depression is published by Mirador Publishing and is available on Amazon in e-book or paperback and can

In Which They Served By Richard Cullen (F, 1960-1965) Relatively few of the many books about the Great War are written about survivors, and even fewer detail their whole lives or the wider context of their service. Recognising this gap Richard Cullen journeys through the war, focusing on five men and women who served, each of them decorated for distinguished service. He looks at wide- ranging political and military contexts,

the personal side of their lives in war and peace, and the untold contributions that they made. Where did they serve? How full were their lives? What wider historical and tactical contexts affected them? Readers will learn of service, battles, philanthropy, volunteering, care for the injured, supplying an army, the dangerous monotony of the trenches and the Allied Intervention in the Russian civil war. Each of the five subjects led diverse lives. They served on land, in the air, and later at sea. Their stories open our eyes to the struggles that so many faced without formal recognition. In these varied and multi-layered accounts are tales of sadness, power struggle, modesty and compassion, bravery and a fulfilled post-war life. Copies available via richardjcullen@aol.com or Amazon.

be ordered in all good bookstores. The authors can be contacted at sammieandrichardolivier@gmail.com .

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