A Baldock woman who was an army wife for 12 years has released her first work of fiction.

Inspired by her experiences at home when her husband was deployed to Afghanistan as a company commander in 2009-10, Rachel Lynch of Pinnocks Lane decided to write a book, which has now resulted in the publication of The Dependants.

Rachel said: “The book is about the wives and children left behind and it is a story not often told, we hear plenty about the soldiers and politicians but not about those holding the families together.

Rachel has been asked to make a speech on Saturday evening about her time as an army wife in front of around 100 people at a charity dinner in the Churchill Suite of the House of Commons.

She said: “I was honoured to be asked by Derek Partridge, who organises the evening and raises funds for wounded soldiers, to make a speech, as it is usually only male speakers.

“There will be a few celebrities there as well, such as Gloria Hunniford, Kate Adie and Jilly Cooper.

“The book has been really well-received in the short time it has been out. I have been overwhelmed with the response to be honest – it has been a bit mad.

“The reaction from civilians has been ‘wow’. I don’t think many people realise what families go through that are left behind.

“Christmas – for example – can be manic because you are spending all day trying to get through on the phone to your husband.

“You think he might never come back and you live in a sort of Twilight Zone.

Rachel has two children with her husband, Major Mike Lynch, who retired last year to take up a job with HSBC in London.

She said: “My husband is really proud of me as he appreciates how hard it is for us waiting at home. He knows how therapeutic it has been for me to write the book.”