Retford author Michelle Dixon releases her debut novel The Barefoot Child, a gripping piece of women’s fiction set in the Midlands. Told from dual point of views, the story follows the complex relationships between Lisa and Jess, a mother and daughter torn apart early in life by consequence and heartbreak.
When six-year-old Jess witnesses her alcoholic father being killed in a struggle, her mother’s ex-boyfriend, Ray, rescues her. When Lisa takes the blame, leading to her psychiatric confinement, Ray becomes Jess’s guardian, offering her a new life while Lisa agonises over the consequences of her actions.
Twelve years later, as Jess begins to unravel the mysteries of her traumatic childhood, Lisa has successfully rebuilt her life, concealing her painful past. As Jess uncovers the truth, can mother and daughter reunite or are they better off apart?
Michelle Dixon has wanted to be a writer since the age of 11. She has been honing her skills as a novelist for the last few years and particularly enjoys creating different female perspectives and, out of the ordinary situations. Michelle lives in Nottinghamshire with her partner and dog. In her spare time she loves travelling the UK in her campervan.
Michelle explains: “I’ve always been interested in the complexity of family relations, a world of endless possibilities and something we can all easily relate to. My initial inspiration was the explosive opening scene between mother and daughter and how intriguing it would be to explore that one event from both a child’s and an adult’s perspective, raising the question of whose word is most reliable. And once that inquisitive child has grown up and everyone has moved on with their lives, is it always best for the truth to come out? Jess is searching for a normality she feels she’s been denied but has to learn that there’s no such thing.”
The Barefoot Child will be published by The Book Guild on 28th January 2025. It is available from the publisher website, Amazon, Waterstones and all good bookshops.
