Rough Places follows the lives of four women and of their home town, Coalport, once a busy industrial township. Not a story from the suffering industrial North of England, but South, far South, on the Pacific rim, just north of Sydney. Luce comes to terms with the loss of her husband, her changing status at home and in the community, her passion for the town's early history and her father's failing wits. Her son in law, Giaco's plans bring them dangerously close to conflict... Then dangerously close to making up. Marnie had polio as a child. Now, her legs growing weak again, it's time to reclaim adult pastimes. Before it's too late. Richard, the new Director seems willing... But there are four young runaways to care for. Peg, returning to Coalport, runs the dance school, stages the Pantomime, wonders about her childhood, her adoption. Her real parents: are they are still alive? And the life she left in England? Is that still alive, too? Lastly, Madge, as she often is: undemanding, unconsidered, cast aside, dropped upon. Her husband, Bernie, chair of the ERA council, pursues his PA Cheryl, his ambitions for redevelopment. Financed, of course, by Giaco. Then the earthquake: to force change, crush some plans, propel others forward, set lives moving in new directions.
About the Author: Tired of writing reports, dismissive returns from academic publishing houses, marking student essays about historic abuse, Marion Steed changed her name, then wrote a one act play about recovered memories - a topic of interest at the time. Lacking access to a production company, she submitted the play to a local literary award panel. To her surprise the play was given first prize and staged. A year later a similar result, this time first prize for poetry on a related topic. Marion's novel, Rough Places, published in 2014, records life in a NSW city in the 80's. The anniversary of the earthquake of Boxing day, 1989 and post-millennial population growth in the city have given the novel a renewed interest. After many years practice in Psychology, Marion saw a need to explore the dynamics of historic abuse. Her second novel, Silence and Slow Time, published in 2017, follows Maude's recovery after a head injury; her speech returns and, with it, memories. Far from home, transferred to a state-funded mental health facility, she meets an anorexic teen, a suicidal single mum, controlling therapists, a priest - an artful dodger of the long arm of the law, two gentle gender transitioners and a kindly registrar who leads a lively community for victims of historic abuse. Here Maude retrieves her faculties, makes peace with her family narratives and embraces her new life in... Occupying forces bring secrets. Secrets that, once they leave, take a long time to resurface. Valentine's return to Lake Macquarie brings him face to face with family history, suppressed during the occupation by Allied forces following Pearl Harbor. Fire Angels, will be Marion's third novel.