New Year Baby

My New Year Baby is a book, Women of the Bible, which is published this month by Lion. It is very wonderfully illustrated by Alida Massari, who makes great use of the blues, golds and purples that I love, and does beautiful little vignettes and borders.

When I was first approached to do stories like this I couldn't help thinking that it's already a well trodden path. But that's because these are strong, old stories, and worth re-telling. Every generation needs to look at them again, and see what new insights they find. So I read again about Ruth, Rachel, Mary, Lydia, and the rest of them, and carried them around, and asked them questions, and let them question me, too.

Living in a rainy valley, I knew that forty days of rain in a boat full of animals is not fun. Mary reminded me that we have to mark the important moments in our lives, and reflect on them. And Lydia, the dealer in purple cloth, taught me that you need twelve thousand snails to make a little bit of purple dye. And nobody asked the snails.

The Golden Child was here last week, so she got her copy. She's only just three, and at the moment she's more interested in choosing a lollipop from the Christmas tree, but hopefully when she's older she'll find inspiration in these courageous women of faith.

And finally, in case you think this is all getting a bit worthy, I realise that I haven't told you about The Archers for a while. It's a bit quiet, really, there're all putting on Christmas shows and eating dinner at each other's houses. But Lilian (that women must be sixty-five if she's a day) is having a bit of a whatnot with Matt's brother, Ed and Emma are living with Emma's parents to save money, Vicky and Mike's baby is nearly due, and Clive Horobin got arrested. Oh, and I think Elizabeth and Ifty will be the new love story. But not too soon, please. It's only two years since her husband Nigel fell off the roof.