The three books that I chose are not part of a series, but appeal to similar audiences, and handle quite serious themes in a similar way. This time I dropped the watercolours in favour of printing (with woodcut), to try out a more graphic approach. These novels also all deal with polar opposites (life/death, religion/science, faith/doubt, heaven/earth, etc.) so black and white imagery seemed fitting.
In Terry Pratchett's Nation, a boy called Mau returns to his home island (the Nation) to discover that his whole village has been wiped out by a tsunami. As the only surviving member of the island, Mau is tasked with forging a new nation from the broken pieces, with grief for his loved ones and his shaken faith in the gods weighing on his mind.
In The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold, 14 year-old Susie Salmon is raped and murdered in the opening chapter. The book deals with the lives and relationships of Susie's family and friends - and her killer - in the days, months and years after her death, with Susie watching over them from her own personal heaven.
Early in the book Susie remembers seeing a penguin in a snow globe when she was very young, and being worried for him. Her father reassures her that he is "trapped in a perfect world." Following her death Susie narrates the novel from much the same position - trapped in a world that is superficially perfect (i.e. heaven). She can no longer be harmed by anything in the real world, but can also no longer interact with any of her loved ones on earth. While everyone outside the 'globe' changes and grows, Susie remains an observer.
Ian McEwan's Enduring Love is a "pyschological thriller" about a middle-aged scientific journalist named Joe Rose, whose comfortable life and long-term relationship become threatened when a ballooning accident brings a delusional stranger called Jed into his life. After a passing glance between them Jed instantly falls in love with Joe, and his obsessive stalking tests the limits of Joe's rational mind.
This is the cover I had most trouble with. I was happy with my concept, but found the execution difficult. Turns out it's not that easy making a rose petal turn into a hot air balloon with woodcut printing!
