But First Maintain the Wall
But First Maintain the Wall
As the spring tide reached new heights it slapped upon fine cracks and, easing its way into the core of the structure, licked upon hawthorn faggots which had lain dry and dormant for decades. Wood flexed and the salt-water took its chance to penetrate further into the seawall. Vibrations shook the village as parts of the wall quivered and fell. Clay-clad banks opened up from within, exposing the centuries-old framework of stakes and faggots, and a low rumble echoed throughout the vulnerable settlement.
On the night the seawall breaches, a young man lies injured, unable to continue his journey through the village. Subsequent events force him to stay in Dymchurch, an outsider struggling to gain respect and a sense of belonging. A tentative friendship is forged with a young woman, born locally, yet not fully accepted and seeking answers to her past. In her fourth Romney Marsh novel, Emma Batten takes readers to 18th century Dymchurch. A place where newcomers are unwelcome, illicit trading goes virtually unchallenged and villagers live under the shadow of the great seawall.