The Family Library is an important social and literary resource for schools, adults and the wider island community, based at Westmoreland Road in Douglas.

Well, it’s been a surreal start to the new year and the team at the Isle of Man Family Library hopes you are all safe and well.

While our facility closed to the public with immediate effect in line with measures announced by the Manx Government in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, we have continued to work behind the scenes to keep in touch with our regular friends and members.

That includes staff from our outreach services contacting the most vulnerable members of the community who may be living alone and self-isolating, offering a friendly chat and keeping them up to date with what’s happening locally.

At the other end of the age spectrum, we have been busy organising challenges to keep younger people entertained!

From Rakie, our Bibliotherapist, presenting an online class on how to bake bread and inviting participants to send in photos of their efforts, to craft sessions ranging from stickman to recycling, such as making a collage from all your old Christmas cards.

Along with Teddy Time for our really young visitors (again screened online), it’s been great to see so many of you getting involved in our pandemic activities both on our website and Facebook page.

While all our Mobile Library, Home Library and Bibliotherapy Services are currently suspended, you can still continue to follow us on Facebook, visit familylibrary.im or send emails to [email protected]

Please keep checking in with us online for some fun activities, including ’virtual’ jigsaws, wrapped-up crosswords and competitions for young and old alike with small prizes.

In the meantime, let’s hope for a successful island lockdown stay home and stay safe and we look forward to seeing everyone again in person in the not-too-distant future.

This month we have a review of a new novel, written by author Philip Kelly.

Although Philip isn’t a local writer, his book, Mann Alone is based on the Isle of Man and was conceived while he worked here 20 years ago.

Mann Alone by Philip Kelly is published in hardback by Lily Publications, priced £8.50.

www.lilypublications.co.uk.

In the year 2027, As a deadly pandemic rages across the globe, the Isle of Man pulls up the drawbridge.

Ports and airports are closed, borders are shut and the island stands as one of the last outposts of humanity.

As the disease rages and civilisations crumble, the people of the Isle of Man must pull together and learn how to survive, while cut off from the world.

Leading the struggle is Dr Vihan Singh, a pathologist, and the leader of the local army reservists, Peter Quinnel.

Together they must fight to keep the disease at bay while trying to keep an uneasy peace.

Although conceived many years ago, Philip Kelly’s debut novel is frighteningly prescient.

There are plenty of nods to the current situation, with the response to the covid pandemic used as a basis for how the island reacts to the new threat.

The level of tension is kept high, with characters displaying all the uncertainty and nervousness as the situation escalates and ordinary people find themselves placed in potentially volatile situations.

Given the current mood in the island, you can easily imagine some of the desperate scenarios being played out, such as one scene where a plane full of passengers, each one potentially infected, makes an attempt to land at Ronaldsway.

The flow of the novel tends to suffer a little from occasionally-leaden dialogue, but the tense and claustrophobic plot makes it worthwhile following through to the end.