Trigger Warnings

Recently, there’s been a lot of discussion about trigger warnings for books. It got me thinking about my first ‘baby’, The Sixpenny Tiger. I’ve never hidden the fact that it contains abuse of a child and of others; there are different forms of abuse besides physical violence. It does, indeed, not only involve abuse of a boy (and actually, it’s no worse than what children often got years ago) but it also involves the effect an unfaithful husband has on his young wife, and discover the painful reason behind the harsh treatment the stepmother metes out on the lad. I can, indeed, understand why people don’t want to read it. 

And yet, those who have read it have loved it. A man who grew up in care said it helped him to realise how much his foster father actually loved him and cared for him so much. Others who have lived or worked in the children’s home I worked in have all enjoyed the book, even one woman who was ill-treated by her stepmother. I wrote it for them; for the children, now adults, who were in that ‘home’ and for those who genuinely cared for them. The book has been likened to those by Catherine Cookson. In spite of the difficult content, it still manages to be a happy story, full of the simple joys of life, with romance for more than one couple, and the influence of those who love unconditionally. For me, the book was a triumph both as a writer and personally. It was my tribute, not only to those I’d known, but all those who care about children who are not their own. 

It has been mentioned that, looking at my books together, The Sixpenny Tiger is the odd one out. I suppose it is. It not only looks different, it is completely different in content; none of my other books, although they often contain ‘real life’ situations, are anything like it. 

My wonderful cover designer wants to redesign the cover but so far I’m resisting it, for a few reasons: one, it was painted by my friend, Sam Parr, two, the house on it is a depiction of the actual house I worked in and it no longer exists, and three, the boy looks so like the gorgeous boy who was the inspiration for Davey. So, it will remain for a while longer as it is.

I wrote the book, encouraged by my mentor, David A. McCalden. He read several of my books before he died, but he said he thought The Sixpenny Tiger was by far my best. It’s a pity others won’t take a chance on it, probably because of those ‘trigger warnings’ in the blurb. But I can’t lead readers into it not being warned, can I? But I have to say that those who love crime thrillers read much worse things than they will ever find in any of my books, including The Sixpenny Tiger! And at least my book has a happy ending, which all good stories need to have, to my mind.