The Wind Road

The willow-tree girl slipped from the

stable and skipped up the road, as though she went not into a poorly

ventilated, overworked mine tunnel a mile-and-a-half underground, but into the

deep dark magic of a faerie mound.

In

1984, a young girl named Jemima, born over an abandoned mine tunnel, forms a

bond with a ‘soot-man’ she sees each night in her dreams. In 1934, Wey Smith, a

miner down Gresford, glimpses a ghost girl following him around in the dark. In

2014, an old man sits alone in a colliery cottage, haunted by the legend of

Weyland the Smith, a statue of a black swan, and the men entombed below. Set

during the build-up and aftermath of the disaster, we uncover their mysterious

connection through time.

Inspired

by actual events, The Wind Road is a tale of magic, coal mining, and the

meaning of myth in our lives.

‘It

has something which all real writing must have: something indefinable but

real.’

Paul Kingsnorth, author of The Wake

‘I’m

completely blown away by the depth and beauty of this novel. The touch remains

light, but devastatingly effective. The prose style is so poetic, so evocative,

and as crisp as an autumn morning. There’s not a word wasted, but every image,

every symbol is resonant and rich.’

Dr Stephen Carver, author, editor and literary historian.

Author: Joanna Eden

Historical fiction

Published on 22 Jun 2026 by Brown Dog Books.