Scottish-born midwife, Miriam loves her work at a health clinic in rural Afghanistan and the warmth and humour of her women friends in the village, but she can no longer ignore the cracks appearing in her marriage. Her doctor husband has changed from the loving, easy-going man she married and she fears he regrets taking on a widow with a young son, who seems determined to remain distant from his stepfather.
When Miriam acts as translator at a medical teaching camp she hopes time apart might help her understand the cause of their problems. Instead, she must focus on helping women desperate for medical care and has little time to think about her failing marriage. When an old friend appears, urging her to visit the village where she and her first husband had been so happy. Miriam finds herself travelling on a journey into her past, searching for answers to why her marriage is going so horribly wrong.
Her husband, too, has a past of his own – from being shunned as a child to the loss of his first love.
PRAISE FOR MARY SMITH’S DEBUT NOVEL:
“Mary Smith makes the reader care what happens to every character and leaves us the richer for having read it.”
ROSEMARY GEMMELL (Dangerous Deceit)
“Her characters are complex with layered pasts (Iqbal’s leprosy and the metaphorical and physical scars it has left behind – Miriam’s lives in Scotland and with her previous husband) and uncertain futures…A lovely book which calls for attention.”
JANICE GALLOWAY (This is Not About Me)
“Written with empathy and humour, No More Mulberries provides a fascinating insight into life in rural Afghanistan.”
JAMES ROGERS
“This book might be about Miriam, but it’s Afghanistan which will grab you and hold you.”
THE BOOKBAG
“It is so much more than just a good romantic novel; it has a serious subtext of highly informative passages incorporating colourful detail across the whole spectrum of political and social issues in 1990s Afghanistan. Smith’s ability to manipulate plot and rationalise timelines makes this book a real ‘page turner’ – A triumphant debut as a novelist.”
SUSAN HARVARD
“Beautifully written, full of the sounds, smells, skies of Afghanistan. And written by a woman who clearly loves and respects that country and its culture.”
SHEILA TEMPLETON (Digging for Light)
