The Threads of Time

A love that is bigger than life and death. A mystery that transcends time. A young man struggling to make some sense of his life. Cally Phillips' first novel takes the reader on an exploration of the connections, The Threads of Time, which form links between past, present and future; through the dimensions of the personality. All the time questions form about the nature of reality. The linearity of life is challenged through the parallel storylines and the myths of history are explored along with a questioning of the nature of external reality or 'historical fact.' This thought provoking novel is a unique fusion of nineteenth and twentieth century structure, style and theme, drawing on a literary tradition as broad and diverse as D.H.Lawrence, John Fowles, Charles Dickens and Emily Bronte, while retaining a freshness and originality of thought and purpose. The central character of Paul is part of a Romantic tradition linking medieval knights with Romantic poets but he 'finds' himself in the Celtic warrior of pre-history. And yet his quest is, in a real sense, that essentially modern exploration of the nature of 'madness.' The visual immediacy of the storytelling draws the reader right into the minds of the characters and calls for a re-examination of what we think we know about history, reality and love.

Review :
'The book haunts when it is closed and put aside, in a way that I suspect may be permanent, and while reading there are moments of penetrating revelation where a hushed stillness and centre seems to have been suddenly discovered by the author and transmitted into the spirit of the future reader. "We are all magicians in the face of reality. History is our magic wand." An exceptional novel, with a strange quality of warmth, which juxtaposes beautifully with the meticulous structure and detail of the prose.' (John A.A.Logan - author of The Survival of Thomas Ford) 'A page-turner of a time-slip novel which explores, among other things, the links which connect our lives in the present with the lives of those who lived in the past, thousands of years ago...two distinct writing styles for the past and present sections of the novel makes the past seem so real there is almost a jolt of dissatisfaction when Paul 'returns' to the present with its petty jealousies, commercialism and dishonesty. The characters are real and believable - even if not all are likeable - and the author has created a strong sense of time and place, both in the present and the past.The setting is the glorious Galloway Forest Park and surrounding areas.' (Mary Smith - author of No More Mulberries)