Margaret was clever and curious and had big dreams. But 200 years ago a girl could not become a doctor. So she cut off her hair and put on boy’s clothes. From then onwards, she was no longer Margaret--she became James Barry. Story Attribution: 'The Cottonwool Doctor' is written by Michelle Matthews. © Book Dash, 2014. Some rights reserved. Released under CC BY 4.0 license. (http://creativecommons. org/licenses/by/4.0/) Other Credits: This book has been originally published by Book Dash. It was created at Book Dash Cape Town on 10 May 2014 by Michelle Matthews (writer), Jean de Wet (illustrator) and Bridgitte Chemaly Potton (designer).

Love is the spirit of humanity, but can one love a spirit? Julius, a bookstore attendant, is certain of his undying love for a spiritual apparition. However, she is now gone, deceased from this world for centuries, so how can he pursue someone that no longer exists in the world of the living? His answer is to create her from within. If he cannot find the one he loves, then seeing her again through artistic expression will be his only salvation. Yet, Julius himself is no artist, so who can guide him on this journey? Laura, his colleague who has recently endured the anguish of a bitter breakup, finds solace in Julius’s presence. As a talented artist she guides Julius in his journey to find the beauty that lies within his emotions. As she watches Julius develop into the artist that parallels herself, she grows closer to him and forms an attachment that gives her the bond that gives meaning to her life. But unbeknownst to Laura, the object of Julius’s desire lies elsewhere, in a sphere beyond even her artistic thoughts. Will Julius’s journey continue endlessly without resolve? And will it be another cycle of anguish for Laura? Or maybe love and understanding can still find a way to connect them together.