Author sisters to hold Second World War book event at Southsea Library

Gillian Fernandez Morton will be promoting her new book Kissed To Death at Southsea Library on Thursday at 6pm.

The 77-year-old will be joined by her sister Maureen Armstrong, 81. Both sisters, who spent their childhoods in Portsmouth, re-wrote and published a manuscript in 2018 written by their mum in 1947 - titled Bombweed.

The blurb for Kissed to Death states: ‘After war ends, little Kenny lives with his granny who can’t find words to explain where he has come from. He knows not to ask.

‘His friend Gemma only knows her daddy as a framed picture on her mother’s dresser.

‘As the children grow up, they become aware of yawning gaps in their histories. They each meet a person offering shelter and warmth. But at what cost? What to do when a shelter becomes a cage? Who can dare to bite the hand that feeds?’

The books are based on Portsmouth after the sisters grew up in the city.

Bombweed is based on a naive teenager in 1938, who has to grow up in a world at war after her family is left shattered.

Maureen said: ‘We look forward to having a chat with people about both books at the library.

‘The books are self-published and we’ve sold more than we thought and covered our costs.’

For more information see gfmorton.com

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