Elderly lady’s incredible life revealed during Toxteth riots
Added: (Fri Apr 22 2022)
Pressbox (Press Release) -
A chance meeting more than 40 years ago has led to the remarkable story of a battlefield nurse from Liverpool going to print.
As social workers attempted to relocate Joanna Barlow from her Toxteth high-rise into a care home during the riots of the early 1980s, the frail old lady began to recall her past.
It was a story of a cruel arranged marriage, secret love, sex trafficking, war-time bravery, loss and a homecoming that had taken her half-way round the world.
Although Joanna Barlow is no longer alive, her story resonated and stayed with retired training director Dave Cowhig.
And now his re-telling of her story, Liverpool Kingfisher, has just reached number three in Amazon’s historical charts.
Dave’s beautifully written book has also received entirely five-star reviews from captivated readers.
The 71-year-old, who has spent several years researching details for Liverpool Kingfisher, said: “I met Joanna Barlow in the course of my work.
“Liverpool Kingfisher is about the strength of a woman, her will to survive, and the excesses of the British establishment, and the end of the Empire.
“It’s also a story of love, friendship and loss.”
Liverpool Kingfisher follows teenager Joanna to Shanghai in 1936 where she is to marry a heartless Army captain.
In these final days of colonialism, the 18-year-old falls in love with a Chinese housemaid while her new husband embroils himself in trafficking, violence and corruption.
As Joanna returns to Europe, she quickly becomes involved in the war effort, volunteering as a field nurse in the hospitals following the D-Day landings.
And she’s on hand as Paris is finally liberated from the Nazis.
Liverpool Kingfisher is a fascinating insight into one woman’s plight amidst decades of vast turmoil and change across the world.
And also the colourful array of characters she encountered along the way.
Dave, who is a founding member of Merseyside Comedy Writers, added: “Joanna and Mai Chung are both 18 and innocent in a cruel world where they fall in love and learn about their different cultures.
“Joanna’s husband, George, is an evil army captain involved in sex trafficking.
“Then there’s Autile the warlord brothel keeper, Madam Chung, the violent housekeeper, and Captain Crawford, who turns a blind eye to everything.
“Joanna was taught French by her jewellery heiress friend, Monique Wisman, and she became good friends with fellow nurse, Sibhorne, who was Irish and suffered from Tourette’s.”
For more information visit Amazon and search for Dave Cowhig, where the Kindle and paperback versions of Liverpool KIngfisher are available.
Notes to the Editor
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