A gripping book about a highly-politicised current issue – vaccination. A complex, layered, wholly character-driven look about a complicated and controversial subject.
Introduction to the author and book
After studying at Edinburgh University, Emily Edwards worked for a think tank in New York before returning to London where she worked as a support worker for vulnerable women at a large charity. She now lives in Lewes, East Sussex with her husband and their two sons.
The Herd – (published 2022 – 352 pages. Amazon 4*)
Two best friends, Elizabeth and Bryony, are polar opposites but their unexpected friendship has always worked. They’re the best of friends, and godmothers to each other’s daughters – because they both trust that the safety of their children is their top priority.
Little do they know that they differ radically over one very important issue. And when Bryony, afraid of being judged, tells what is supposed to be a harmless white lie before a child’s birthday party, the consequences are more catastrophic than either of them could ever have imagined.
THE NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER and Richard and Judy Book Club Pick, Autumn 2022
It is hard to imagine a more timely novel. A fascinating exploration of all sides of a particularly knotty, politicized issue. Jodi Picoult
Lewes-based author Emily Edwards chats to Denise Tyler about writing during a pandemic, tackling ethical issues and returning to Sussex.
The Herd describes the devastating fallout between friends after a white lie about childhood vaccination proves catastrophic. As a new parent yourself, how difficult was it to write the very challenging scenes in The Herd affecting small children?
I go into a bit of a weird space when I’m in an intense writing zone and I was also writing The Herd during the first lockdown while I was pregnant with our second son. I often find it emotional and can be quite difficult to be around. I feel a lot of emotion for the characters, but I’m also aware that there’s another chapter coming so there’s a very practical mindset as well that needs to make sure the pace of the book is maintained and that my characters are going where I need them to go in order for the story to develop.
You started writing The Herd before the pandemic and finished writing it in lockdown; how much did talk of Covid vaccines and herd immunity influence its progress?
Originally, I set the book in 2020, but I realised I couldn’t set my book then and not mention Covid so my agent suggested I set it in 2019, which I did. It ends just before Christmas in 2019 and I remember having this sense of doom for my characters thinking ‘they’ve got Covid just round the corner!’ I remember whilst I was writing it we were all so desperate for a Covid vaccine and because I didn’t have a publishing contract in place – I was writing it speculatively – I was very much wondering ‘who is going to want to read about vaccination whilst we’re all going through all of this?’ It was either going to be on point or a bit like ‘let’s talk about something else now’ so I’m glad now that it’s about childhood vaccination rather than Covid.
Your books tackle big ethical issues – how important is it that you promote discussion in your books?
This is definitely a niche that I’m going to continue writing in; I recently signed to write two further books with my publisher Transworld and I’m going to continue in this vein. If I’m going to spend however many years writing a book, I want to make sure I’m interested in the subject and that I’m going to learn something from it. I’m sure all writers learn from their subjects in different ways, but it’s also the stuff we find hardest to talk about that we find so fascinating. Vaccination is one of those subjects, so what I’m trying to do with my writing is have those conversations with myself and my characters but also with the reader.
Did writing the book help you work through your own thoughts and feelings about vaccination?
We did have a big question mark when we had our first son about whether or not to vaccinate. My husband was clearer on it than me, but he knew it was important for me to make that decision for myself so yes, it helped to do the research. We decided very early on to vaccinate and will continue to do so for both our sons.
What do you think of this novel?
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Vicki James & Helen Sinclair
The next book for June 25 will be …
“Small Things Like These” by Claire Keegan (published 2022 – 128 pages. Amazon 4.5*)
An exquisite winter tale of courage – and its cost, set in Catholic Ireland.
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