Synopsis:To the children living on Ash Road it was a bewildering and fearful day from the very start. First, the unnatural heat of early morning, the searing north wind that played on everyone’s nerves, and the smell of smoke across the thickly wooded hills; then the sirens wailing and the grown-ups behaving so strangely, talking of big fires too far away for you to see; and then the gradual realization that nearly all the grown-ups had gone and that they, a handful of children, were cut off amid growing confusion and danger, forced to face a major crisis with only two old men left to help them….
Genre:Kids/Thriller
Rating:@@@@@
Pages:154
BCID:xxx-6178658
Year:1965
Format:Hardcover
Comments:Ash Road is a thrilling story about a group of kids stuck in a huge bushfire without any adults. This book was published in 1965, so things like currency and slang are not current, but it doesn’t affect the understanding (or enjoyment) of the story. Although this book was written for kids, I would also recommend it for adults. I have read it many times over the years, and it still makes my heart race and gives me butterflies in my tummy.

The quality of writing in Ash Road is outstanding. The descriptions of a hot day in the Aussie bush are such that one can smell the Eucalypts, and the description of the fire is thrilling. This is a great read for child and adult alike.

Categories: Impressions

Tags: Arts, Ash, Ash Road, Ash Wednesday, australia, australian, books, bushfires, children, england, Eucalypt, fiction, Lent, suspense, young adult