A tale of trauma and healing - set in the heart of Cork city

Robert J. Fourie, a South African-born author now living in Cork, has recently published Spinny, a novel that looks into the psychological complexities of trauma and identity.

Set against the backdrop of Cork city, it follows the story of Shane Sheehan, a young man working in a call centre and coping with a life fractured by buried memories, intense emotions, and the painful weight of secrets he can’t remember.

This gripping psychological drama explores themes of resilience, healing, and the quest for self-understanding - a journey that may feel familiar to readers facing their own life challenges.

The book is available as an e-book and paperback on Amazon, and as an audiobook on YouTube.

A unique journey into dissociative identity

In Spinny, Robert takes readers on a journey through the eyes of Shane, a young man trapped in a job where he is bullied, carrying the weight of stress, low self-esteem, and a persistent feeling that something is deeply wrong.

“Days slip by, memories blur, and something inside him is fracturing,” Robert explains.

Through flashbacks and sessions with his therapist, Amy, Shane gradually uncovers layers of his mind, confronting painful memories and emotional burdens that parts of him have carried since childhood.

These ‘parts,’ Robert notes, reflect a common experience many of us share when we feel divided within ourselves: “Part of me wants to try therapy, but part of me is afraid I might discover things that are too difficult.”

Inspired by his studies in psychology and therapy, Robert drew from concepts such as Internal Family Systems (IFS), which sees people as having distinct internal parts.

For Shane, these parts reflect different coping mechanisms, with some parts manifesting as distinctly separate personalities - a condition sometimes called Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID).

“This book isn’t a clinical portrayal of DID,” Robert says. 

It’s a fictional story that explores the impact of trauma on identity.

Although he doesn’t experience dissociative identities himself, Robert connects with Shane’s journey on a personal level, describing his own quest to process past traumas.

He explains that he has explored different aspects of himself - parts that each carry things too painful or complex to face directly. These inner parts, he says, often protect us by keeping difficult memories or emotions out of our awareness, allowing us to continue without being overwhelmed.

“While Shane’s story is fictional, it reflects my own path to healing,” he explains, adding that exploring these inner aspects has helped him understand his own trauma and challenges more deeply.

The healing power of storytelling

Writing, for Robert, is both an outlet and a tool for understanding life’s complexities.

“I use my writing to make sense of a complex world,” he says. 

I’ve had a lot of experiences in life, and I’ve met many different types of people.

Like many artists, he finds that putting internal struggles into words or images provides a new perspective on emotions and ideas that might otherwise feel overwhelming.

Writing isn’t only an act of storytelling; it’s also a way for him to engage with his own life experiences and create stories that resonate with universal themes.

“Stories aren’t just made-up fictions,” he says. “They come from our own experiences of life and our internal worlds.”

Through writing, he externalises complex thoughts and emotions, making them tangible and manageable - a process that fuels his creativity and helps him process his own challenges.

Set in the heart of Cork City

Spinny is set in Cork city, a place Robert describes as rich in culture and language.

“Cork has such a deep history, and it’s a fantastic place to set novels,” he says. The city’s landmarks, dialect, and energy bring a grounded reality to Shane’s journey, adding a distinctive Irish flavour.

Robert hopes that setting the story in Cork will encourage more authors to feature the city as a setting for their stories.

A layered, page-turning drama

Although Spinny is not a thriller, Robert has crafted it to be a page-turner, with each chapter gradually revealing Shane’s fragmented past.

The narrative unfolds like a mystery, with layers of Shane’s identity surfacing as he works with his therapist to uncover memories and emotions that he has suppressed for years.

“People who enjoy detective fiction might find this interesting,” Robert says. “There’s a forensic dimension to the story, and there’s a lot of psychology embedded in the narrative.”

The therapist’s role and the power of supervision

Spinny also explores the role of supervision in psychotherapy.

“Helping someone handle their difficulties requires that therapists themselves have gone through therapy and have support from a supervisor,” Robert notes, highlighting the importance of self-care and guidance in the profession.

For those interested, Spinny is available as an e-book and paperback on Amazon. Due to policy restrictions, the paperback is not available on Amazon UK, but it can be ordered from all other Amazon stores, internationally.

The audiobook, read with an Irish accent, is also available for free on YouTube.

“As a blind person, I always appreciate an audiobook,” Robert shares.

For readers and listeners who enjoy psychological dramas and stories of resilience, Spinny offers a compelling and immersive journey.

Robert would appreciate any reviews from readers and listeners, especially as a new author.

“Reviews really help,” he adds. “If you enjoy the story, please consider leaving feedback - it means a lot.”

With Spinny, Robert J. Fourie delivers a poignant story that is both challenging and hopeful.

Set in the heart of Cork city and rich in psychological insight, it is a book that promises to engage and resonate with readers from all walks of life.