A novel for anyone who likes real life stories with a hint of magic
Beside the M5 motorway, on the outskirts of Bristol, there is a huge sculpture woven from willow called the Willow Man.
It's so tall that it could look through an upstairs window - in fact, it might have to bend down to do it. Its arms are stretched out, as if to help it to balance, and its powerful legs are poised as if it's just about to stride off across the motorway. It's not in a gallery or a museum, it's out in the open where everyone can see it, and it's absolutely stunning. Sometimes I used to wonder - what would happen if it suddenly found it could complete that stride?
It first appeared in 2000, the millenium year. I was fascinated by it, and always slowed down when I was driving past so that I could look at it. Then, a few years later, somone burnt it down. All that was left was the steel skeleton. How could anyone do such a thing? it seemed desperately sad. Fortunately, Serena de la Hey, who had made it, was able to rebuild it.
Around this time, I was beginning to think about my next book. I knew some of the things I wanted to write about. Some years earlier, my daughter had been taken ill very suddenly. For a while, she was unable to move. While she was in hospital, I saw other children who had serious illnesses, which stopped them doing the things that other children do. That was one thing. Then, I had recently started working with young offenders. I realised that often, they did what they did because of things that had happened to them - things over which they had no control. Like the children who were ill, like the Willow Man, they were stuck. They couldn't move on, couldn't escape what had happened to them.
So it all came together. The book is about Sophie, who's ill, her brother Tom, and his friend Ash. All of them are stuck.The Willow Man is powerful and strong. Can he help them to break free? Read the book to find out!