Myth, post-war Britain, and fox hunting come together in an exploration of childhood and hunting practices in a new book set in Cumbria. 

In the Blood is the newest book from Jenny Newman which follows 12-year-old Jackie shortly after the end of World War II as she moves to Westmorland after living as an evacuee in north Wales.

While living Wales, Jackie becomes "more hound than girl" as she learns about the ancient lore of hunting from her host who has been touched by Gwyn ap Nudd, the Welsh god of the chase. 

But, her new life in Westmorland sees her staying in the derelict estate of the local Master of Foxhounds who is courting disaster for his entire family by flouting the Welsh way of hunting by using the English approach.

Doctor Newman, 77 years-old, said: "I grew up in Cumbria, so I felt I had a certain knowledge and understanding of the place.

"And as my narrator is young, I felt at this current stage in my life that it would be interesting to return to that younger self, if you like, in the environment that I knew as a young girl.

"I've lived so long on Merseyside that I wanted to explore aspects of my girlhood personality that I might have left in Cumberland and I did that through my central character."

She describes In the Blood as "thoughtful, provocative, and celebratory," and, despite her own views being less than favourable towards hunting, Doctor Newman didn't want to write a propaganda piece. 

Instead, she has chosen to explore the issue by comparing it's ancient origins to more modern practices of fox hunting. 

She looked at how ancient peoples from the Palaeolithic era approached hunting and how it connected with their way of life and spirituality to become a sacred act that had an impact if done disrespectfully. 

"That's what she learns about when she's in Wales, which I have as this rather mythic place where Jackie learns all kinds of ancient lore," added Doctor Newman.

"I didn't want to write an anti hunting polemic. That's not what novels are for. That's not what fiction is for. They're not just for propaganda.

"They're better, in my view, when they explore both sides of an issue and that's really what I wanted to do."

In the Blood will be released on September 1.