Local author inspired by experience of children's social care
In his new science fiction novel, local author Thomas Norford shines a light on the invaluable work of children’s social workers.
Thomas's novel is called This Burdened Clay and revolves around Fran Gera, a dedicated children's social worker who has two troubled boys assigned to her caseload. As a new environmentalist movement morphs into something sinister and bizarre, she must get the boys to a place of safety while the world slides into chaos and the ghosts of her past come back to haunt her.
"The story is not an in-depth exploration of social work," Thomas explains, “but it reveals some of the pressures social workers face every day, and the amazing work they do. This is something I've witnessed having worked in a support role in children's social care for many years. By telling this story I wanted to lend to social workers something of the romantic hero status of the maverick detectives of crime fiction.”
Through the journey of Fran and the boys, Caleb and Blake, This Burdened Clay explores themes of loss, self-discovery, and the impact of trauma on young people's ability to form meaningful attachments.
"Primarily I hope to entertain readers with what I think is a pretty spectacular story," Thomas says, "but also to show the vital role social workers play in the lives of children and young people, and to inspire readers to appreciate their extraordinary efforts."
This Burdened Clay is available now in Amazon and other major book retailers.