The Year of the Mask

The Year of the Mask is a story for girls aged 8–13. It describes the lives of two friends when their boarding school is closed, during the Covid-19 pandemic of 2020–21, before a vaccine was developed. Song-Wei is unable to return to her home in China and goes to stay with her friend Annelise in Somerset. It follows their time in ‘lockdown’, sharing their worries for their families, who are working on the frontline in England, China and The Congo. Song-Wei’s parents are missionaries in the Congo and her grandparents are working in a Covid-19 hospital in China. Annelise’s father and brother are both working on the front line in hospitals in England with Covid-19 patients. Through the challenges and difficulties they face, they grow to know Jesus’ help and comfort and find a deep faith in God as they help the people in the village where they are living.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mary Weeks Millard has been writing books for young people since 2009. She is a retired nurse and midwife who lives in Dorset along with her husband, Malcolm, a retired Anglican minister, maths teacher and missionary. Mary has three married children and five grandchildren, her pride and joy, and her hobbies include reading, photography, art, crafts and walking by the sea. After the death of her first husband Philip Weeks in 2000, she began writing books, and these include her autobiography, five biographies and twenty -five books for children and teens. Her longing is to inspire young people to find faith and follow in the Christian way throughout their lives. Her inspiration often comes from the beautiful Dorset countryside as well as from her experiences as a missionary in East Africa.