In 432 BCE they think Themistokles is dead. Suzanne is drawn through thousands of years to help him live. Will his destiny be death or glory at Olympia? Will she regain control of her life in the present, or will her mind be occupied forever by the past?
Themistokles, Themis to his friends, is recovering from a head injury and has lost his memory. Everything is bewildering - who is he? Why is his left hand swollen? Where does he live? Everything is intriguing - how is he different from what he was like before? Are his brushes with disaster just coincidence? And why does he have such odd dreams, like a tablet with coloured lights instead of a wax surface?
Meanwhile, Suzanne, a teenage English schoolgirl and athlete, is in a coma in 2010 after a street collision in Athens. She is flown home unconscious, but is 'dreaming' Themis' life. Through her, we follow him to Olympia to work with his uncles on the huge gold and ivory statue of Zeus. We attend the 87th Ancient Olympic Games, learn the solution to the mystery of Themis' father's death, and discover what is meant when the seer declares, "When the boy in two minds wins without a fight, Athena will pay her dues."
This time-slip story gathers pace and intricacy against a background of thorough but unobtrusive research. Timeless themes of sporting ambition, family duty versus self-realisation, and the confirmation of identity, underlie the humour, action and adventure of memorable characters, some of whom really existed in 5th Century BCE Greece.
The Boy in Two Minds is Book 1 of The Connection Trilogy which follows the parallel fortunes of Themistokles and Suzanne as they become adults in their respective environments. Will their connection help or hinder them as they struggle to survive the invisible forces that affect their very different lives? Can it be controlled? And will it ever be explained?
