Completing one of the world’s toughest ultra marathons provided the inspiration for the latest novel by an adventurous administrator from Leicestershire.
Catherine Birch has combined her talent for engaging fiction with her passion for extreme endurance challenges.
Picture provided by Catherine Birch
And the resulting new book, The Journey, has been met at the finishing line with a string of five-star reviews by thrilled readers.
Critics have described Catherine’s latest romance as ‘captivating’, ‘hooked’ and ‘loved it’.
Fellow reviewer Donna Morgan said: “It was amazing from start to end.”
Catherine admits the breathtaking scenery she and her great friend Marian, encountered during races in Chile provided the inspiration for The Journey.
The 57-year-old said: “The Journey is set in San Pedro de Atacama and the Atacama Desert.
“Both places we visited when we competed in the Atacama Crossing in 2011 and 2012.
“The Atacama Desert is so beautiful and desolate.
“We walked across so much of it during the time we were there and every day there was something different and interesting to see – the landscape was ever changing.
“The landscape in my book is very much inspired by what we saw and experienced during the races.”
The Atacama Crossing, which navigates vast salt flats, giant sand dunes and icy-cold canyons, is regarded as one of the world’s toughest multi-stage ultras.
Despite completing many epic adventure races, including the Marathon des Sables, the scenery Catherine encountered during the race in Chile stayed with her.
The Journey follows the fortunes of Dakota as she escapes the turmoil of daily life in England by heading to Chile for a well-deserved break.
With vivid imagery and compelling characterisation, Catherine brings Dakota’s adventure to life in a thrilling narrative that provides several twists along the way.
And it’s not just the scenery that provides the perfect antidote for daily grind as desert guide, Javier, stirs emotions that had been long forgotten.
Catherine added: “Javier is kindly and takes it upon himself to show her the sights of the Atacama from horseback.
“They grow close and by the end of the trek they realise – despite their best efforts – they have grown very attached to each other.
But Dakota is due back home in England imminently.”
Catherine’s previous novel, The Nordman, also attracted a lengthy string of five-star reviews following its release in 2016.
She is currently working on the first draft of a sequel to The Journey.
For more information, visit Amazon and search for Catherine Birch where the paperback and Kindle versions of The Journey are available.
