Burn - Ben Short

''An extraordinary and powerful book, full of vitality. Every page celebrates the way traditional skills can shape who we are'' Tristan Gooley''Lyrical, moving and never self-pitying . . . a lovely book'' The TimesBen Short has a successful career in advertising, a flat in a trendy part of London, a flashy motorbike. But after years of suffering with anxiety, he''s a wreck. A drastic change is needed.For a time, he finds solace working with a forester, then as an apprentice to a Gypsy woodman, setting up home in a dilapidated wagon with just a rescue dog for company. However, it is not until he feels the call of the furnace, a glowing charcoal kiln in the Dorset woods, that he can truly re-forge his thoughts, put the years of suffering behind him, and start afresh by immersing himself in the old ways of woods and fire.Exquisitely written and deeply honest, Burn is a hopeful story of transformation, a celebration of manual work and craft, and a love letter to the English countryside.''Beautifully written . . . reading it leaves you feeling ruffled but alive'' Mail on Sunday