Our Easter this year was lost
In the most wonderful way
Over the rainbow

I have also been reading
The Rescue of Ravenwood
This eco adventure
Shares a very special message
With The Wizard Of Oz
There is no place like home

Ravenwood is home to
Leo, Martha, Raffy and Bea
A family that found one another
And have built a life and
A home together

Ravenwood is also home
To beautiful trees
Wild flower meadows
A perfect pond
Cliffs and a cove
With seals in the sea

Ravenwood is a safe haven
A place where all are welcome
A place built out of love

But life is never as simple
As it seems
Families always have history
Friendships are found
In unexpected places and
Surprising circumstances

This is a love story
Of friendship and families
Of the places we hold dear

This is a story of
The power of nature
To heal us
To bring us together

A story about our role
In preserving and protecting
The places we care about

This is story that shows
How just like the plants
Trees and animals
That surround us
We are all connected

There is so much to love about
The Rescue of Ravenwood
Including wonderful nods to
Norse Mythology

The ancient tree
Yggdrasil or ‘Ygg’ for short
The world tree
A giant ash
Supporting the universe
Is one of the main
Features of this story
A tree the children love
And have their tree house in
A tree that has special meaning
For the found family of Ravenwood

Skidbládnir
The best of Viking ships
In our story
Made by Leo
From a storm felled oak
For his family

I instantly fell in love
With Ravenwood
I can completely imagine
My family living somewhere
Wild and untamed
And filling the grounds
With Viking ships
And treehouses
I can imagine us
Living a top a cliff
Beside the sea
In a place where
Vikings once invaded
My children would
Love that
Just like Leo
And his two brothers
Alex and Jack did
As children
Born and raised
At Ravenwood

As adults only Leo stays
And it is he that
Fosters his niece Bea
When her father
Leaves her at Ravenwood
Just a few days old
Because he and his wife
Are not coping with
Their newborn
It is Leo that finds Martha
And brings her and her son
Raffy
To Ravenwood
Eleven years later
It is Leo who finds Noa
And brings her
To the safety
The sanctuary of
Ravenwood

Bea has a limited
Complicated relationship
With her parents
There is a lot of hurt
Resentment and anger
For Bea
Ravenwood is home
And Leo her father

The story begins
In the summer
As Bea and Raffy
Finish primary school
And are excited for
A summer of adventure
But suddenly and dramatically
Everything changes

Bea and Raffy struggle
With the arrival of Noa
Bea’s parents want
To take her away and
Their Uncle Jack
Wants to sell his share
Of Ravenwood
As everything they hold dear
Begins to unravel
Raffy uncovers family secrets
And when even their tree
Ygg is threatened
The children know that they must
Fight for what they love
For what is important to them
For what matters most

This is such a brilliant story
And so incredibly cleverly written
It is a contemporary novel
That feels like a classic
It is told from three points of view
Allowing you to really
Feel what each of the children feel
And see the world through their eyes
You are totally on the side of the children
As the grown ups make all the decisions
That affect their lives in ways
They would never have chosen for themselves
But of course, life is never straightforward
And the families find their ways to come together
In a way that works for everyone
But what an epic adventure
And mighty battle there is
From the first page
Of this stunning novel
To the last

I have loved adventuring with
Bea, Raffy and Noa
Their story is a wonderful one
And I loved following
The ups and downs of their
Growing friendship
I would love to read more
About their adventures
Restoring and rewilding Ravenwood
Creating a safe space
For all those in need of
Nature and nurture

David and I have plans
To buy an old house
With meadows and woodland
We want a home that will
Grow with our family
And their families
We want to have an art workshop
A bookshop, a lending library
And a theatre
If we manage to make
Our dream come true
I think it will be a lot like
Ravenwood
And that makes me smile
A lot

A safe haven
For wildlings and
Wild ones
For those who need
Nurture through nature
A safe place to call home
Where adventure can be found
And magical memories made
With those we love
In a place where we can
Place roots and grow wings
A safe space where all can belong
Just like Ravenwood

This story
This place
This found family
Built on love
Will stay with me
For a long long time

Thank you Natasha Farrant for a wonderful adventure