Overview

Subtle shades of landscape and light changing throughout the year; ravens tumbling overhead and returning swallows gathering mud to build their nests .... all woven into a humorous yet heart-rending account of life entwined with nature. This tale of running a bed and breakfast in the Shropshire Hills, reveals a learning curve of mistakes and challenges set against the ever-present beauty of the natural world, until the cruel intervention of motor neurone disease darkens the idyll. An inspirational affirmation of life and intimate engagement with nature .... which reveals its own complex and powerful character. Small cameos of wild things are sharply observed, written with real love and illustrated with exquisite drawings. Living with the Covid pandemic, climate change and deteriorating health, - not to mention an unforgettable kaleidoscope of two, four and six legged guests - each episode of this rural life is faced with wry humour, courage and resourcefulness, deepening the sense of life's value. Those who care for the natural world and our environment will warm to this profoundly moving story.

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9781916270848

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Reviews

This is just a beautifully written book. The author excels in combining several themes simultaneously - the account of how she came to live in 'the back of beyond'; the ups and downs of running a rural B&B, and most poignantly a very personal account of how MND changed everything. But the book is far from gloomy - it is uplifting and inspiring because it is set in the glorious Shropshire countryside, and the author seamlessly weaves in her extensive knowledge of plants, animals, insects, the climate, and the wonders of nature. While the descriptions in the text are exquisitely written and would stand alone, the book is full of beautiful illustrations which take it to another league. I loved reading this book and think anyone interested in MND, rural Shropshire, Nature and stories of endurance would enjoy it - its real strength is in how it has been structured to counterbalance the telling of a very human and heart rending story, with humorous anecdotes and the very real joys of nature and living is such an idyllic place. Fran Beck If you're a lover of nature, of wild and remote places and enjoy spending time in the great outdoors; if TV programmes like Countryfile and Springwatch etc are a 'must see', then this is the book for you. Amazon customer An acutely observed and elegantly expressed account of nature and the changing seasons set in one of the most breathtakingly beautiful areas of the country. But that's not all it is. Told through anecdote and recollection, and some wonderfully descriptive prose, demonstrating the author's knowledge and love of the area, it's the story of the realisation of a dream and the perils and pitfalls, the struggles and successes which went into making it a reality. Liz Beamish This is a wonderful book and Frances Brand who has written two good novels set in the South Shropshire Hills now switches to an autobiographical account of her life in the area at North Hill Farm where she and her husband Becks establish a thriving Bed and Breakfast. The illustrations throughout are beautifully drawn. Stargroves I really enjoyed reading this.A beautifully written book that makes you laugh and cry. The authors personal account of life and death and the challenges of running a B&B on a farm that sits on top of a hill below Caer Caradoc in the Shropshire Hills and overlooks the beautiful valley towards Wenlock Edge that is the back of beyond. She writes from the heart and you cannot but be moved from the courage and resilience she shows having to watch her husband deteriorate and die from MND. Lynn B A lovely read finished in 2 days. Like chatting with a Friend about the ups and downs of living fairly remotely the stories about running a B and B, the wildlife, the kites and buzzards soaring above. The joys and sorrows of keeping animals. Most poignant the diagnosis and the cruelty of losing a loved one with MND. J H

This is just a beautifully written book. The author excels in combining several themes simultaneously - the account of how she came to live in 'the back of beyond'; the ups and downs of running a rural B&B, and most poignantly a very personal account of how MND changed everything. But the book is far from gloomy - it is uplifting and inspiring because it is set in the glorious Shropshire countryside, and the author seamlessly weaves in her extensive knowledge of plants, animals, insects, the climate, and the wonders of nature. While the descriptions in the text are exquisitely written and would stand alone, the book is full of beautiful illustrations which take it to another league. I loved reading this book and think anyone interested in MND, rural Shropshire, Nature and stories of endurance would enjoy it - its real strength is in how it has been structured to counterbalance the telling of a very human and heart rendering story, with humorous anecdotes and the very real joys of nature and living is such an idyllic place. Fran Beck

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Author Information

Frances Brand lives in Shropshire among the glorious countryside of the Marches where ravens can fly quickly over the border into Wales.Frances is a former journalist who changed career when the internet was hitting regional papers; she began a new writing career and opened the doors of her hilltop home to paying guests. Love of the landscape and the natural world in all its beauty and harshness forms the backdrop to her work, providing both inspiration and characters. Latterly she was editor of a farming newspaper, working closely with farmers and others involved in agriculture. She knows at first hand the problems and vicissitudes of farming in the 21st-century in a claustrophobic rural society, as depicted in her first novel Thorns. The elevated location of her small farm was also key to the theme of a second novel, Adam's Ark, which imagined the impact on the landscape and community of extreme flooding caused by global warming.

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