Swimming Upstream (33 page)

 The illness is there for life, it seems, and Zara
is unlikely to work again, although she remains somewhat sceptical about the
theory of a chemical imbalance that can’t be cured with diet, sunlight and
exercise, and that still remains her dream. For now, though, she is still
dependent on the drugs that keep her mood stable. She’s not bitter, although at
times she says that she feels as though life is passing her by. Mostly, she
just feels relief at being allowed to avoid the battlefield that is the real
world and to be able to take things at her own pace. She has her paintings. She
can afford new clothes and makeup every now and again, and she doesn’t have to
sell her soul and her sanity to get them. I remain hopeful for her. She may be
vulnerable but she is not a victim; on the contrary she is determined,
courageous and strong. It seems we all have to find our own medium between
security on the one hand and freedom on the other and for some, like Zara, the
balance must be more finely tuned. I have come to realise, though, that we
can’t have hope without a degree of uncertainty in our lives; and that those
things that induce fear and discomfort in me are the very same things that make
me feel truly alive.

Now, after all that’s happened, I am inclined to
agree that everything was meant to be. Catherine would be pleased. Do I believe
in fate? Possibly. Maybe there is no such thing. Or perhaps the way our life
unfolds is a complex equation, made up of many things: a pre-destined
trajectory combined with our own character, plus a smattering of random,
accidental happenings. No-one can possibly know for sure.

 But this is my story. These are my truths. This
is what happened. Of that, I am certain.

Hello Readers

Thank you so much for reading my debut novel. A
number of people have commented that they would like to see a sequel.  I can
tell you that I certainly have plans for a second novel. I can’t say more than
that just yet!

So, a little bit about me… I was born in South
London and studied in Cambridge and London (surprise, surprise!) where I gained
a bachelors degree in French and Spanish and a post-graduate diploma in Law. 
For several years I worked in the publishing industry before leaving my job, my
relationship with my long-term partner and my home to travel and also to write
the first draft of
Swimming Upstream
.  I then put my writing career on
hold for several years while I retrained as a lawyer.

Like Lizzie, I was a singleton for many years
until I finally met and married my husband. We now live in Oxfordshire with our
two children. I still practice as a lawyer and juggle that with writing and
raising the children. Sadly, my eldest child was born in 2002 with a severe
learning disability, which means that he is also physically disabled (the two
often go hand in hand) so it’s been a tough time! I’m very interested in the
subject of how differently we all survive life’s challenges and I’ve written
about my son, about surviving life’s knocks, about relationships and about friendship
on my website. If you want to read more just click on this link:
http://www.ruthmancini.com/blog/
My
contact info (and photo!) is also there on my website – if you have any
questions, suggestions or would simply like to get in touch I’d love to hear
from you.

One last thing… when you turn the page, Kindle will
give you the opportunity to rate the book and share your thoughts via a feed to
your Facebook and Twitter accounts. If you believe your friends would enjoy
this book, I’d be honoured if you’d post your thoughts. If there is no page
that follows, here is the link to my book on Amazon:
http://viewbook.at/B00A8J10UM
I’d be
so grateful if you could share the link with your friends and also click on it
to rate
Swimming Upstream
and leave a review. Even just a line or two
would mean so much to me.  Thanks again for reading.

Ruth Mancini, February 2013