A Science Writer Brings Epigenetics to Life In A Time-Bending Debut Novel

ASHLAND, Ore., June 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- After a successful career of science writing and mental health advocacy, author Victoria Costello turned to fiction to explore how new scientific findings, such as those coming from the study of inherited trauma and extremely sensitive children, can return us to what was known long ago in traditional belief systems. As her characters confront the consequences of long-festering family secrets, Costello's novel shows how these ancestral ties have the capacity to illuminate and heal multi-generational wounds.

In her debut novel Orchid Child, published by Liminal Books,  Costello offers a generational investigation into the intersection of 21^st century neuroscience and ancient Celtic folklore. A story told in dual timelines, Orchid Child follows Kate, a budding neuroscientist and Teague, her teenage nephew, an orchid child who hears voices and talks to trees. In the wake of a work scandal, the pair travel to a small town in the Irish countryside, where Kate takes up a new position studying the unusual prevalence of schizophrenia among the townsfolk. What follows is a series of revelations.

Through local gossip, Kate and Teague learn that their ancestors had been banished from the community 80 years prior. As Kate attempts to unearth her family's past, a local druid begins showing interest in Teague, believing him to have the rare gift of "second sight." Conflict escalates between Kate and the local community, and readers are sent down a trail — of madness, magic, and rebellion — leading to unsettling family secrets, and blurring the line between myth and medicine in the process.

"A beautifully told story, with richly drawn characters, that seamlessly braids the competing preoccupations of our age, from neuroscience to the ancient myths and tacit laws from which modern culture evolved." Simon Van Booy, bestselling author of twelve novels, including The Night Held Many Stars.

Victoria Costello is an award-winning writer and educator. Her non-fiction work has appeared in various publications, including Scientific American MIND, Brain World, and Huffington Post, and her title, A Lethal Inheritance, A Mother Uncovers the Science Behind Three Generations of Mental Illness was released in 2012 with Prometheus Books. Orchid Child is her debut work of fiction.

If you'd like more information on Orchid Child or would like to arrange an interview with Victoria, please reach out to her publicity team at Mindbuck Media, [email protected].

Contact: Jessie Glenn
[email protected]
Mindbuckmedia.com
503-998-8770

SOURCE Victoria Costello