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A Proper Person to be Detained
The story of a murder and its aftermath. On Christmas Night in 1881, John Manley, a poor son of Irish immigrants living in the slums of Leeds, was fatally stabbed in a drunken quarrel. The frightened murderer went on the run, knowing that capture could see him hang.
A few generations later, author Catherine Czerkawska begins to tease out the truth behind her great-great-uncle’s tragic death. But she uncovers far more than she bargained for.
In a personal family story that takes us from Ireland to the industrial heartlands of England and Scotland, from the nineteenth century to the twentieth, Catherine gives voice to people often maligned by society and silenced by history – immigrants, women, the working classes. She unearths a tale of injustice and poverty, hope and resilience, and she is both angered and touched by what she finds. Catherine is driven to keep digging, to get to the very heart of life – and death – in the not-so-distant past.
288 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 4, 2019
6 people are currently reading
15 people want to read
About the author
Catherine Czerkawska
43 books41 followersI’m a novelist, historian and experienced professional playwright, living and working in Scotland.
I write warm, intelligent and grown-up stories - some historical, some contemporary and some a mixture of both. I have more than 100 hours of BBC radio drama to my name as well as many professional theatre productions.
My fiction and non-fiction was previously published by Saraband, now by Dyrock Publishing, and some of my plays by Nick Hern Books.
My fiction includes The Physic Garden, a Scottish historical novel about an early nineteenth century gardener, his love for weaver's daughter Jenny and his friendship with botanist Dr Thomas Brown. Set in Glasgow, this is a moving and engrossing story of friendship and betrayal.
The Jewel, published in May 2016 is a luscious historical novel, bringing to glorious life the dramatic years of Jean Armour and Robert Burns's courtship and their tempestuous, married life against a background simmering with political intrigue and turmoil. For Jean is a selection of poems, songs and letters written by the poet with Jean Armour in mind
The Curiosity Cabinet is set on the small fictional inner Hebridean island of Garve, and involves parallel stories, three hundred years apart. Henrietta Dalrymple is kidnapped and held on Garve by the fearsome laird, Manus McNeill, while in the present day, Alys returns to the island where she spent childhood holidays, and renews an old friendship. While Henrietta must decide who she can trust, Alys must earn the trust of the man she loves. But for both women, the tug of motherhood will finally influence their decisions.
The Posy Ring set on the same small fictional Hebridean island as the Curiosity Cabinet, is (almost) a sequel to that novel, now published by Dyrock Publishing.
My books, fiction and non-fiction, are available in paperback and as eBooks on Amazon.
I’ve held Creative Writing fellowships and residencies and spent four years as Royal Literary Fund Writing Fellow at the University of the West of Scotland. I enjoy giving readings and talks about all aspects of my work and love chatting to my readers so please don't be shy about contacting me.
I also collect and deal in antiques, mainly textiles, in my spare time - quite often they find their way into my fiction.
I write warm, intelligent and grown-up stories - some historical, some contemporary and some a mixture of both. I have more than 100 hours of BBC radio drama to my name as well as many professional theatre productions.
My fiction and non-fiction was previously published by Saraband, now by Dyrock Publishing, and some of my plays by Nick Hern Books.
My fiction includes The Physic Garden, a Scottish historical novel about an early nineteenth century gardener, his love for weaver's daughter Jenny and his friendship with botanist Dr Thomas Brown. Set in Glasgow, this is a moving and engrossing story of friendship and betrayal.
The Jewel, published in May 2016 is a luscious historical novel, bringing to glorious life the dramatic years of Jean Armour and Robert Burns's courtship and their tempestuous, married life against a background simmering with political intrigue and turmoil. For Jean is a selection of poems, songs and letters written by the poet with Jean Armour in mind
The Curiosity Cabinet is set on the small fictional inner Hebridean island of Garve, and involves parallel stories, three hundred years apart. Henrietta Dalrymple is kidnapped and held on Garve by the fearsome laird, Manus McNeill, while in the present day, Alys returns to the island where she spent childhood holidays, and renews an old friendship. While Henrietta must decide who she can trust, Alys must earn the trust of the man she loves. But for both women, the tug of motherhood will finally influence their decisions.
The Posy Ring set on the same small fictional Hebridean island as the Curiosity Cabinet, is (almost) a sequel to that novel, now published by Dyrock Publishing.
My books, fiction and non-fiction, are available in paperback and as eBooks on Amazon.
I’ve held Creative Writing fellowships and residencies and spent four years as Royal Literary Fund Writing Fellow at the University of the West of Scotland. I enjoy giving readings and talks about all aspects of my work and love chatting to my readers so please don't be shy about contacting me.
I also collect and deal in antiques, mainly textiles, in my spare time - quite often they find their way into my fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 23, 2020
Although a bit repetitive in places, the story of this family is gripping.
As the author mentions, the lives of the, mostly immigrant, desperately poor in the industrial cities of Victorian England are seldom recorded in either fact or fiction. Where they are, it is usually to support someone else's tale.
She goes a brave way to addressing this.
I found her discussions about the conditions in general to be at least as interesting as the particular story of her relatives. The deprivation, poverty, neglect, exploitation and overall disregard as fellow humans by employers and society in general is horrifying. However, generosity, humour, spirit and hope manage to endure. The lessons for today are startling even though we may consider ourselves enlightened.
As the author mentions, the lives of the, mostly immigrant, desperately poor in the industrial cities of Victorian England are seldom recorded in either fact or fiction. Where they are, it is usually to support someone else's tale.
She goes a brave way to addressing this.
I found her discussions about the conditions in general to be at least as interesting as the particular story of her relatives. The deprivation, poverty, neglect, exploitation and overall disregard as fellow humans by employers and society in general is horrifying. However, generosity, humour, spirit and hope manage to endure. The lessons for today are startling even though we may consider ourselves enlightened.
October 11, 2020
History brought to life through research and a bit of memoir. A very personal slice of history. Insight into another time.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews