Бывший член совета библиотеки Сандейч представит дебютный роман о магии Оксфорда во время Второй мировой войны

Former vice chairman of the Sandwich Library Board of Trustees Michael D. McCartney is set to release his debut novel, "A Subtler Magic," a week from tomorrow. Set in 1940 during the Blitz in England, McCartney's novel is a work of historical fantasy fiction that offers a possible magical answer as to why Oxford managed to escape the wrath of Germany during World War II. Perhaps the city and its university were under the protection of Merlin's own Lady of the Lake—a title rather than a person—who ensures that her pupils are safe. Meanwhile, her granddaughter, the Lady-in-Waiting, helps the cause in her own way as an ambulance driver in London—much to her grandmother's dismay. Throughout the novel, Dame Beryl and her granddaughter Vivian are forced to confront what duty, honor and love mean to them and to their relationship with each other. Early readers have stated that "every sentence is a work of art," particularly praising McCartney's command of the English language. "Not only did McCartney bring you vividly to WWII England but also to a land of fantasy/magic; and he does it with beautiful imagery and fanciful imagination," wrote one reviewer on Goodreads. McCartney, who studied at Oxford through a study-abroad program, is also a former teacher. When teaching a class about world-building, he was challenged by his own students to create a world of his own. As a result, Carmarthen Hall—the college at Oxford for thaumaturgical studies—was born. Over time, McCartney has imagined and written several stories within that world. On September 1, that world will be widely shared with readers for the first time with the release of "A Subtler Magic." The novel is currently available for preorder from all major book retailers, as well as directly through Grapes & Wrath Press. Additionally, the book will be available for purchase at Titcomb's Bookshop on Route 6A starting on September 1. Following the book's release, McCartney has scheduled several author events; the first will be at St. Mary's of the Harbor in Provincetown on Saturday, September 5, at 2 PM. Katie Beatty Goers is the web editor and the editor of the Sandwich Enterprise. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login.