The Red Armband

by Catherine Greene

Published 1 September 2023

The Red Hairband is a post-apocalyptic, literary science fiction novel. How does our upbringing influence our interpretation of the world? Evie, Laura, and Bertram, must confront this question in their three intertwined stories.

Evie is indoctrinated by a repressive regime, and throws herself into conflict with a more liberal society. She tries to destroy them, but fails. Instead, a myth about her life is used to start a revolution against the regime.

Laura's new-born son, Edmond, is a time traveller from the future, but she isn't believed and is diagnosed with post-natal depression. To avoid being sectioned she joins him in his world.

Bertram, an orphan, is desperate to find his parents. While searching, he meets Edmond and Laura, and uncovers the truth about Evie. He decides to expose the person behind the myth.

The Red Hairband is an exploration of the inhumanity that certainty about our ideas can bring about; it advocates for doubt about all our beliefs.