TUESDAY FIRE, WEDNESDAY RAIN

The nuclear explosions are distant, but their light reaches the farming community of Kestrel.

By morning, officials announce a ceasefire. Radio broadcasts reassure those outside the devastated cities that the worst is over.

Then the rain begins.

Science teacher Denise Merrifield knows radioactive fallout can enter drinking water, grass and milk. She urges local farmers to shelter their cattle and stop distributing fresh supplies until testing can establish what has fallen.

But there are no measurements. Families need food. Farmers face ruin, and officials will not act without evidence.

When a teenage boy who worked outside starts feeling unwell, Denise’s warnings become painfully immediate.

A post-apocalyptic novel about a community caught between reassurance and uncertainty, and a mother struggling to protect her son when recognising danger is easier than persuading people to confront it.