Annette Shaw is a freelance writer and a book group organiser, and has a regular column in Devon Life, sharing her pick of brilliant books with Devon connections. With her reputation for championing books and authors around the county, we’re delighted to have the opportunity to showcase her reviews here.

Adrift by Tracey Williams
What would a green dragon be doing at Bigbury Bay? This quirky tale, which is true, explains all. It began on Thursday 13 February 1997 when a huge storm hit the Tokio Express, a cargo ship that had set sail from Rotterdam. Some 20 miles off Land’s End the vessel was hit by a rogue wave and 62 of its containers were swept into the sea. One of them held nearly five million pieces of Lego! Tracey writes: “In the days that followed, helicopter pilots flying over the area reported seeing ‘a slick of Lego’ floating in the sea.” Beachcombers began finding plastic octopuses, spear guns, scuba tanks, cutlasses, flippers and even dragons – pieces that are still washing up today. Capturing the magic of beachcombing, Adrift is an insight into the mysterious world of oceans and tides, whilst flagging up some of the weird and not so wonderful plastic items found on our shores.

KOLOBOK – a Russian Bun on the Run! Adapted by Siân Valvis
Siân, from Barnstaple, wrote KOLOBOK while she was doing an MA in Interpreting and Translation at Bath University, which is why she feels the book has a strong connection to the South West. This is magical picture-book full of soft, pastel-coloured images. Ideal for early readers it’s inspired by a Russian folktale, thought to have originated in the 19th century, and is similar to The Gingerbread Man. Siân translated the text from Russian into English, and then adapted it into rhyme. The book has been beautifully illustrated by Dovile Ciapaite, a London-based Lithuanian illustrator. Earlier this year the two creators were lucky enough to win PEN Translates award – one of only 12 books to be recognised, representing ‘some of the most exciting literature in translation arriving into the UK market’. As far as they know, this is the first translation from Russian for younger readers to win a PEN Translates award.

Carnival of the Animals By Michael Morpurgo
Michael’s new book is inspired by the French composer Camille Saint-Saens’ musical masterpiece Carnival of the Animals. Composed in 1886, it’s a humorous suite of 14 movements. In his own words Michael says: “Because I love the music, I wrote some poems to go with it. So, we could make a concert together, him and me.” It feels like a perfect bedtime book partly because the illustrations, by Michael Foreman, are stunning. Each page encourages observation and counting, as well as commenting on ecological issues. The poems are messengers, such as the one about bees which comes with a gentle reminder about the importance of pollinators and the dangers of pesticides. The animals tell us about their habitats and it feels like a book with a lot of heart. Michael’s work always brings a smile. This one comes with deeper meanings embedded in the creativity. Definitely one for the nursery bookshelf.

A Woman of Noble Wit By Rosemary Griggs
This year Mother’s Day falls on March 27, thus it seems appropriate to include Rosemary’s story of a remarkable Devon lady and mother of a very famous son, Sir Walter Raleigh. I’m a great fan of historical fiction because it allows the author, particularly when it’s a female-centred novel, to show the reader what it was like for women to live, in this case, in Tudor times. Katherine was no ordinary woman. Her duty was clear: to settle into the life of a wife and mother. But she inspired her sons to follow their dreams. Rosemary is quoted as saying: “Love him or hate him, Raleigh is a towering historical figure. His mother’s story has never been told before.” Rosemary is a retired Whitehall Senior Civil Servant. She is now a speaker on Devon’s sixteenth century history and costume. Passionate about the past, she also leads heritage tours at Dartington Hall.

Another Mother’s Child By Mary McClarey
Set in dual time, Another Mother’s Child is an Irish-American family drama. It’s a moving and engrossing story, a trail of questions that echoes down the generations, and switches between the lives of two women, Ellen and Lizzie. In November 1906 Ellen arrives at the Cunard Wharf in Queenstown, County Cork, boards the SS Caronia and sets sail for America. Fast forward a hundred years and Lizzie is seeking answers about Ellen and a child. Now living in Modbury, Devon, Mary grew up in Northern Ireland. She worked as a nurse, midwife, health visitor and NHS manager, and was the first nurse member to be appointed to the board of NICE, specialising in research and evidence-based practice. She is regularly invited to speak, both at professional health care conferences and literary events, but her writing has come as a secondary career and when she refers to herself it is always a nurse.

This article previously appeared in the March issue of Devon Life.