GALASHIELS author Dorothy Alexander will discuss the background to her gripping new book, The Mauricewood Devils, next week.

Dorothy is the special guest for the Melrose Literary Society meeting on Tuesday, February 6.

And she will talk about her gripping novel which is based on horrific true events.

In 1889 a fire tore through the Mauricewood coal pit, near Penicuik.

Of the 65 men working, only two survived.

Many of the others were sealed up in the pit while still alive and their bodies would not be recovered for months.

Dorothy's novel focuses on the aftermath of the disaster and how it affected people’s lives.

Martha and her sister have lived with their granny since their mother died, but she is not kind to them.

The death of their father in the disaster means an end to any chance of a better life.

For Martha’s stepmother, Jess, the wait for a body to bury, and the struggle to deal with a loss that is both collective and private, is agonizing.

Martha and Jess’s stories lie at the heart of this elegy to the close-knit communities of the pit villages in a gripping tribute to resilience and courage in the face of utter catastrophe, based on true events, original source material and the author’s own family history.

The Melrose Literary Society meeting starts at 7.30pm upstairs in the Ormiston Institute.

Non-members are welcome, for a £3 admission charge.

Further information from the secretary, Peter Hoad on peterhoad@aol.com or 01896 823852.