Out of the Ashes

READ BY SOPHIE ALDRED
On January 1st 2001, Becky Morley begins to write her diary. By March 12th, her world has changed for ever…

When Becky Morley begins keeping her diary in January, foot and mouth disease is just an item on the news, something happening hundreds of miles from her family's farm in Devon. But now the nightmare is a few fields away and local flocks are being destroyed. Will the Morleys' animals be next? Will their cattle, their sows and piglets escape the cull? And what about Little Josh, Becky's hand-reared lamb? The waiting and hoping is the most agonising experience of Becky's life…

Out of the Ashes is a powerful and moving fictional account of true events by award-winning author, Michael Morpurgo.

Reviews

About the book, from Amazon:
“This book is a very very good read for people affected or unaffected by Foot and Mouth. It helps give an insight from a childs perspective into how foot and mouth affected farmers and their families.”

“Michael Morpurgo has managed to distil so much of the pain and anguish that has been inflicted on farming communities throughout the UK by Fooot and Mouth Disease … the simplicity and authenticity of the writing is quite breathtaking.”

“Well done Michael Morpurgo for conveying what so many of us have felt over the last months and been so lamentably unable to express to others. Please read it!”

“I feel that Michael Morpurgo has enabled the reader to empathise with the plight of the farmer in these harrowing and distressing times. Once again, Morpurgo is not afraid to deal with death and other difficult topics in his childrens' books.”

About the author

Sir Michael Morpurgo OBE FRSL FKC DL is a writer, playwright, performer and librettist. The author of more than 150 children’s books, he has sold over 35 million copies worldwide and in almost 40 languages. A former teacher and vocal spokesperson for the benefits of reading for pleasure, he is currently the President of Book Trust. Between 2003–2005 he was Children’s Laureate and in 2018 he was knighted for services to literature and charity. Many of Michael’s books have been adapted for stage and screen, including the phenomenal National Theatre adaptation of War Horse, which has been seen by over 10 million people in over 100 cities around the world, broke the West End record for weekly ticket sales, and won 5 Tony Awards and 2 Olivier Awards. Michael is also the co-founder, with his wife Clare, of the charity Farms for City Children.