Tower and Town, September 2023 (view the full edition)Robert Harris (The Big Town Read) - Act of OblivionFor me, this is one of Robert Harris's best books. The 1660 Act of Oblivion pardoned all who took up arms against King Charles I except those directly involved in signing his death warrant. Colonel Edward Whalley, a cousin and childhood friend of Cromwell and his son-in-law, Colonel William Goffe, were among the group of regicides who, under the threat of execution, were forced to flee the country. Many escaped to Europe but Goffe and Whalley sought refuge in New England among the Puritans there, where their austere lives are vividly described. The novel is almost entirely constructed from factual material. The only invented figure is the warped and vengeful Richard Naylor, who, as secretary of the regicide committee of the Privy Council, is driven to track them down. The story follows the momentum of this struggle, moving between the New Englanders and the families they have left behind in London, who endure the plague in 1665 and the great fire a year later. Having been chosen as this year's Big Town Read, we are looking forward to welcoming book groups with the opportunity to ask the author more informed questions. Please come even if you are not a member of a book group - it should be a lively event and is LitFest's finale! The event will be in the Town Hall at 7pm on Sunday 1 October and is sponsored by Deacons Jewellers, who are celebrating their 175th anniversary.  Virginia Reekie |