The grass is not always greener on the other side

Care worker Aisha Brown and her husband Luke are desperate to have a child. However, during a visit to the clinic, Aisha is devastated to learn she is unable to bear children. To add to her distress, on her way home a car crashes into her while she is waiting at a junction.

Having been resuscitated at the scene, Aisha finally awakes from a coma only to discover she is in hospital with no memory of the crash. Worse still, instead of Luke comforting her, someone called Tom is standing by her bedside, claiming she is his wife, Zoe.

This scenario is the stuff of nightmares. Not only does everyone think Aisha is a woman called Zoe Young but when she looks in a mirror, she does not recognise the person staring back at her. Most upsetting of all, when she spots Luke in a supermarket, he has no idea who she is. In fact, when she tries to explain, he thinks she is deranged – especially as the woman he is with looks exactly like Aisha.

‘Junction: Time’s Ticking’ is a clever, yet disturbing novel where, apart from being the scene of Aisha’s accident, the junction also represents the point where two souls collide. The predicament of the main character is indeed an extreme one, as she struggles to convince those she loves she is the real Aisha trapped inside another woman’s body, her anguish and disorientation is palpable.

However, there is so much more to this compelling novel than its unusual plotline. As the story unfolds, a series of lies, secrets and betrayals are gradually revealed and skilfully woven into the layered fabric of this intriguing novel. Finally, just as Aisha begins to wonder whether she is better off living Zoe’s life, fate steps in and makes the decision for her. The ending, when it comes, is both surprising and chilling.