Katy Varley, a paramedic with nearly two decades of experience in various ambulance service roles and six years as a qualified paramedic, has published a fiction book inspired by her frontline work. After a worrying heart condition forced her to step away from active duty, she channeled her experiences into writing 'The Thin Green Wedge', a novel that provides a fictionalized account of the daily realities faced by paramedics across the country.
Book's Plot and Inspiration
The story follows Lucy, a strong female character around Katy's age, who is a single mother of three. Lucy's journey centers on her fight to become a paramedic, having been told by a male figure in her life that she would never succeed. Katy explained to ChronicleLive: 'It's fiction of course - and it's about a strong female character called Lucy who is around my age. We're quite similar! She's a single mother with three children.'
The narrative deals with difficult themes such as unhealthy relationships and the traumas of being a first responder, but also includes moments of light and humour. Katy added: 'Lucy qualifies during Covid and I have put some of my own experience in there in the sense of all that we dealt with in the North East. So far the reviews are coming through really well.'
Authenticity and Characters
Katy emphasized that no characters are directly based on real people, though she may have borrowed mannerisms or jokes. She said: 'People might well go 'is the character me?' And the answer is no, but I might have put a bit of inspiration from them into a character!' Lucy also faces her own health scare and must fight her way back, reflecting Katy's own heart condition. 'It's about this strong woman, but she has her flaws and she has had a rough ride,' Katy noted.
Availability and Reception
The book is currently stocked at The Bound in Whitley Bay and is also available online. Early reviews have been positive, with readers appreciating the realistic portrayal of frontline work. Katy said: 'It shows the reality of the front line. The situations in the book are based on things that really do happen, day to day.'
