REVIEW WRITTEN BY BABS SIMPSON & READ LIVE ON THE BOOKSHOW 25TH SEPT 2014
THIS BIOGRAPHY IS AN HONEST ACCOUNT OF MICHAEL MORPURGO'S LIFE WHICH HE
DECIDED NOT TO WRITE HIMSELF BECAUSE HE COULDN'T TRUST HIMSELF NOT TO VEER OFF
INTO FICTION. AS WELL AS HIS LIFE STORY, THERE ARE SEVEN NEW SHORT STORIES BY
HIM RELEVANT TO VARIOUS CHAPTERS IN THE BOOK.
MICHAEL WAS BORN IN 1943 INTO AN INTERESTING FAMILY. HIS MATERNAL
GRANDMOTHER WAS A RENOWNED SHAKESPEAREAN ACTRESS AND HER HUSBAND A PASSIONATE
BELGIAN POET. HIS MOTHER, THEIR DAUGHTER, KIPPE AND HIS FATHER, TONY BRIDGE,
WERE ALSO WORKING AS ACTORS WHEN THEY MET.
IN 1945 THE CHARISMATIC JACK MORPURGO CAME INTO THEIR LIVES, KIPPE AND TONY
EVENTUALLY SEPARATED, TONY GOING TO LIVE IN CANADA & MICHAEL HAD A NEW
FATHER IN JACK.
MICHAELS YOUNG LIFE WAS DOMINATED BY THE MOTHER HE ADORED AND HE DIDN'T
LIKE HIS FIRST SCHOOLS IN LONDON. THEN HE WENT TO PREP SCHOOL IN SUSSEX AS A
BOARDER WITH HIS ELDER BROTHER PIET, COMPLETING HIS EDUCATION AT THE KINGS
SCHOOL CANTERBURY, WHICH HE ATTENDED ON A SCHOLARSHIP AWARDED TO A BOY WITH
LEADERSHIP ABILITIES. DURING AL THIS TIME HE SUFFERED HORRIBLY WITH
HOMESICKNESS. HE WAS NEVER OUTSTANDING ACADEMICALLY EVEN IN ENGLISH, BUT WAS
POPULAR BEING VERY MUSICAL AND GOOD AT ALL SPORTS. EVENTUALLY HE DECIDED THAT A
CAREER IN THE ARMY WOULD SUIT HIM AND HE WAS ACCEPTED FOR MILITARY TRAINING AT
SAND HURST ALTHOUGH HE QUICKLY REALISED THAT LIFE WAS NOT FOR HIM.
HE MET CLARE LANE, DAUGHTER OF THE LEGENDARY FOUNDER OF PENGUIN BOOKS, SIR
ALLEN LANE. THEY FELL IN LOVE AND GOT MARRIED WHEN HE WAS STILL ONLY 20. IT'S
LOVELY TO KNOW THAT, 50 YEARS ON, THEY ARE STILL IN LOVE AND VERY HAPPY.
CHILDREN FOLLOWED AND MICHAEL PURSUED A HALF-HEARTED CAREER AS A SCHOOLMASTER
BUT HE WAS TOO UNCONVENTIONAL TO FIT IN. HE CARED PASSIONATELY ABOUT GIVING
CHILDREN THE BEST OPPORTUNITIES AND OPENING THEIR MINDS TO THE WONDERS OF THE
WORLD AROUND THEM AND AFTER QUITE A FEW DIFFICULT YEARS, THINGS SUDDENLY FELL
INTO PLACE.
THEY BECAME INVOLVED WITH THE FARMS FOR CITY CHILDREN PROJECT BOUGHT A
PROPERTY IN DEVON WITH AN ADJOINING MIXED FARM AND FROM THEN ON TWENTY SIX 9-10
YR OLD CHILDREN AND A TEACHER WOULD ARRIVE EVERY FORTNIGHT TO STAY AND HAVE A
TASTE OF COUNTRY LIFE, FEEDING THE ANIMALS, MILKING COWS, COLLECTING EGGS AND IN
THE PROCESS DEVELOPING A SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY AS WELL AS RESPECT FOR EACH
OTHER AND THOSE AROUND THEM.
IT WAS VERY HARD WORK FOR ALL THOSE ADULTS INVOLVED BUT INCREDIBLY
REWARDING AND SATISFYING. MICHAEL WOULD TAKE THE CHILDREN OUT INTO THE COUNTRY
SIDE TO ENCOURAGE A FEELING FOR NATURE AND IN THE EVENINGS THEY WOULD BE LUCKY
ENOUGH TO LISTEN TO STORIES HE HAD WRITTEN.
THE MORPURGOS LOVED THEIR LIFE IN DEVON AND INDEED STILL LIVE THERE.
MICHAEL DERIVED INSPIRATION FOR MANY OF HIS BOOKS FROM HIS SURROUNDINGS,
INCLUDING THE ENORMOUSLY SUCCESSFUL AND POPULAR WAR HORSE AND DURING THAT TIME
HIS WORK BEGAN TO BE PUBLISHED.
IN 1982 THE MORPURGO BOYS WENT ON A SCHOOL TRIP TO SCILLY AND CAME HOME
ENTHUSING ABOUT THE ISLANDS. CLARE HAD VISITED TRESCO AS A CHILD SO THEY
DECIDED TO HAVE A FAMILY HOLIDAY. TRESCO WAS FULL SOP THEY OPTED FOR B&B ON
BRYHER. NEEDLESS TO SAY THEY'VE BEEN BACK EVERY YEAR SINCE.
THERE IS SO MUCH IN THIS BOOK - LOTS OF INFORMATION AND INSIGHTS INTO THIS
LOVELY MAN WHO HAS GIVEN GREAT JOY TO SO MANY OTHERS THROUGH HIS WONDERFUL
STORIES. IT IS WRITTEN RATHER IN HIS OWN STYLE - SIMPLE, STRAIGHTFORWARD AND
HONEST. THERE IS MUCH TO LEARN FROM IT & I'VE ONLY SKIMMED OVER IT HERE.
PLEASE READ IT, IT'S A LOVELY BOOK ABOUT A LOVELY MAN.
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