Martha's Medicine by C C McMillan

This week I snuggled up with Martha's Medicine, a lovely book by C.C. McMillan. I loved the title as it reminded me of a band I used to have a bit of a thing about, All About Eve, and their song "Martha's Harbour". It ended up being rather poignant as the character Martha is indeed a harbour for lost souls.

The story revolves around a popstar who has lost his way and a woman, Martha, who is hiding from life for very good reasons. To begin with I had reservations about the story, because it seemed a little unlikely the P.A. of a famous popstar would send her boss to a woman who writes a letter asking her to do so, but I was soon drawn in to the beautiful descriptions and images the author brought to mind. Her descriptions of Scotland were wonderful and I felt as if I was back there, watching this story unfold.

Martha's story is really touching and believable. The characters background story has made her the woman she is, wanting to help those she sees in pain now because she couldn't before when she was too young. Danny, the popstar in the novel, is like so many of the people in the public eye who have believed their own publicity and have gone off the rails into excess, seemingly past saving to those around them. Martha offers him a way out if he will take it and together they make a story which really should be turned in to a film.

This book was a joy to read and, for a first novel, beautifully crafted. A writer to watch out for.

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