Nelson author Jennifer Craig is no stranger to the alchemy of humour, irony, and good storytelling. Recently she got her creative cauldron bubbling again, and the result is Mary Lou’s Brew, a novel that takes a poke at academia in a decidedly witchy way. Craig launches her satiric new novel on Tuesday, August 26 at 7 p.m. at the Nelson Public Library.
When Mary Lou stirs up her brew, she spells trouble for the Dean of the Academy of Sophists: just one more problem when the future of the Academy is in jeopardy, faculty members vanish, an assistant causes a unique traffic jam, lab creatures escape, and a disenchanted junior professor tries to alter the Dean’s Gravity Quotient. A humorous academic and social commentary, Craig is clear that her novel — for adults of all ages — is not to be taken seriously.
“It’s not difficult to poke fun at academic institutions, but it’s so much fun to poke at it with a character like Mary Lou,” says Craig, who comes by her irreverence honestly: she holds a bachelor’s degree in nursing, a masters in education, and a Ph.D. in medical education.
Craig is the author of the bestselling memoir Yes Sister, No Sister: My Life as a Trainee Nurse in the 1950s. Published by Ebury Press in 2010, it sold over 160,000 copies and spend 17 weeks on the London Times bestseller list. A nonfiction book, Jabs, Jenner and Juggernauts: a Look at Vaccination, was published by Impact Investigative Media Productions in 2009.
Mary Lou’s Brew is the first of several fictional projects currently in development to reach the printed page. The library plans to brew up some special refreshments to help celebrate, and Otter Books will be on hand with copies.