Soulton Hall is delighted that our Shropshire countryside, particularly the area around the Soulton Long Barrow, has served as inspiration for a second book by local author Katharine E. Smith, titled Falling Out of Stride.
First copies of ‘Falling Out of Stride’, a book by Katharine E. Smith
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Praise for the book: “Unusual and hugely enjoyable. I’m already invested in these characters and I love the beautiful setting. I can’t wait for the next book!”
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Falling Out of Stride is the first full-length novel in the What Comes Next series. Preceded by First Christmas, a novella set entirely at the long barrow on the first Christmas after Ruth’s death, Falling Out of Stride now takes the story of Ruth’s family as life begins to inevitably move on without her.
While Ruth watches on, and shares her family’s story with us, she is grateful for the respite of the long barrow and the wisdom and experience of those she calls her friends in death – the other souls whose ashes reside at the barrow as well.
Author Katharine says that Soulton Long Barrow has inspired her for some time. “I’ve been drawn to the long barrow – its peace and space – since I first visited in 2020, when my mum was very ill. Soulton is a beautiful place and the long barrow is a perfect location to spend some time reflecting. It is the ideal focal point for this family I am writing about, who still want to come and tell Ruth about what’s happening in their lives, and ask for her advice. They don’t really know if she is there and listening – but she is, and she shares what she hears and sees with the reader. The book cover Is an interpretation of the niche cover I have described in the book, greatly inspired by the real niche covers in the long barrow, and brought to life by local artist Catherine Clarke.”
“Unusual and hugely enjoyable. I’m already invested in these characters and I love the beautiful setting. I can’t wait for the next book!”
As the new year swings into view, Ruth’s family are sticking together, yet quietly coming apart at the seams.
While eldest daughter Annie becomes increasingly distant from her husband, middle child Kitty is reeling from the break-up of her own relationship. In the midst of their grief, feelings become muddled, and a complex situation begins to take shape.
Husband Graham is lost in his own world, stunned by his bereavement and struggling to forge a route through these darkest months, or even find a reason he should want to. Blinkered, he is missing what is happening in his own family, under his own roof. Only Tom, the youngest, seems to have things in hand.
From her unique vantage point, she sees it all and longs to help. While her family learn to live without her, she faces new lessons of her own, chief amongst them that she must let them find their own way.
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The Hebden family portrait begins with First Christmas, a novella introducing Ruth and her loved ones. Falling Out of Stride, the inaugural novel in the “What Comes Next” series, marks a turning point. The once-central Ruth finds herself a witness to a storm of change brewing within the family. With characteristic humor, compassion, and a discerning eye, she narrates the tales of her kin as their lives take surprising detours.
