A Character Refresher
Characters connected with Bone Lines who also have a role to play in The Fire in Their Eyes, the stand-alone second book in the Children of Sarah series.
(Note: possible spoilers for those who still intend to read Bone Lines.)
Modern Day
Dr Eloise Kluft
A determined and thoughtful genetic scientist with particular interests in both immunity and paleo-genetics. Eloise works in present day London, and lives alone, when we first meet her in Bone Lines.
“Sarah”
The name given to a set of ancient remains discovered on Mount Kenya.
Darius
A well-connected archaeologist, and Eloise’s ex, with whom she has a long and complicated history. Darius is excavating the site where the remains of Sarah were discovered.
Dr KC Harmon
A high-flying geneticist from the US who becomes (initially to her dismay) Eloise’s colleague during the mission to unravel the mysteries of Sarah’s DNA. Despite some “static” and other concerns, they have much in common professionally.
Tom
A young and “unsuitable” lover from Eloise’s past, about whom she has certain regrets, but who may have a role to play in her future.
Josh
Tom’s young son from an earlier relationship, which went badly wrong with significant repercussions.
Max
The youthful, sporty and ambitious Australian astrophysicist who is also an aspiring TV personality. Max discovered Sarah’s remains during a climbing accident on Mount Kenya. He lives in Manchester and is married to…
Jessica
A dedicated and empathetic psychiatric nurse, deeply in love with her husband. Jessica is undergoing momentous life changes, however, from a challenging pregnancy to a new awakening in her senses.
Rev John Evesham
A progressive priest who is the unlikely friend of Eloise from their days together as Samaritan volunteers, and who corresponds regularly with her and other characters. He also plays a key role in the story that unfolds in Manchester, where he gets to know Jessica after becoming a pastoral visitor to her patient…
Calumn
The arsonist who is now confined to a secure psychiatric facility following his taking hostage of Eloise and the bones of Sarah, at the behest of a creationist cult.
Anna
A dear friend of Eloise’s from medical school. A straight talking, no-nonsense person whom Eloise cherishes, and who offers occasional advice. Anna has met both Darius and Tom and knows about KC.
Prehistory
“She / The Stranger”
A young woman who is with child when we first meet her in Bone Lines as she makes a marathon, solo journey of survival away from a cataclysmic natural event and towards an intuition of safety. The Stranger is the name she is known by The Fire In Their Eyes, given by the tribe she was adopted by. She casts a long yet inspiring shadow over many lives in both ancient and modern times, where she is known by another given name.
“The Old Woman”
The child of the woman who made the journey in Bone Lines, now the matriarch, shaman and storyteller of her tribe. She holds the memories of her mother — and valuable wisdom that has been both earned and inherited. Her grandchildren — and those she is guiding to take over certain roles — include “The Warrior” and “The Tall Girl”. She also must decide how to handle the unnerving arrival of a fiery-eyed “The Outsider” — someone who may or may not be related and who may either herald, or share vital knowledge about, the approach of danger.
An imagining of “Sarah” by Eli Allison