Synopsis
Description Claire is a born loner , although she dreams of becoming a professional concert pianist she has few friends, and feels hounded by the expectations placed on her by her family, strugggling with a low self esteem, and to find her identitiy during her adolescence she fears that she will notbe loved just as she is, unless she has something to prove.This forces her into a position of becoming a perfectionist to the point of being obessed with her music, to the exclusion of anything else.At university she meets an art tutor, David who has seperated from his wife due to the pressure on the family of caring for a 14 year old step daughter, Rosie, who has schizophrenia and a history of self harming. The reationship between David and Rosie pushes way beyond the normal boundaries, resulting in Melanie, David's wife, who is Rosie's main carer experiecing a nervous breakdown herself.Claire knows nothing of David's background or the fact that David will turn her life totally upside -down, resulting in tragedy, The Musical Paintbox is an attempt to address the shortcomings of the Mental healthcare professionals, by pulling no punches in observing the treatment of patients on a psychiatric ward. It attmempts to show that artistic expression is essential to basic human survival in every one of us. About the Author Fiona Whelpton was born in London in 1957 and now lives in Nottingham. As a youngster Fiona wanted to become a professional musician, but she couldn't because it caused her too much stress - something that her condition dictates she must avoid. Instead she became interested in writing and read English Literature and Media at Nottingham Trent University. She is an accomplished poet having had an anthology of sketch work and poetry called 'Patchwork Windows' published with the 'Lost Artists' group. In 2004 Fiona received the Snowden award which will allow her to pursue her dream of being a top journalist. 'The Musical Paintbox' is her second book to be released through Chipmunka, her first 'The Cycle Path' has become one of our best sellers. Fiona is currently working on several projects including a film version of 'The Cycle Path'.
