How Do You Stop a Magpie Mobbing Your Mind?

By E.K.J. Wright

Format: Paperback

(4 customer reviews)

Publication Date: 28 Aug 2021

£7.99

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Categories: Self-Help, Young Adult

ISBN: 9781913913199

Description

We all want quiet. We all want beauty. We all need space. Unless we have it, we cannot reach that sense of peace in which whispers of better things come to us gently.

Can krabfoodling pheasants bring laughter to a silent, sorrow-saturated world? And could prickleballing bunnies help mend a broken heart? Aural superpower unleashed, Ella Pearson attempts to unshackle her magpie-personified grief following her dad’s untimely death. But will the unexplored undulations of the Washwell Valley cure her anorexic mum? And what becomes of the obsidian-eyed peregrine, the glimmer of hope in her upturned universe?

E.K.J. Wright achieved a First Class Degree in French and German from Exeter University. After this, she pursued a career in translation, but writing has always been her true passion. Snuggled in an armchair overlooking her own Sussex Arcadia, she is never happier than when devouring literature and exploring the countryside. Having recovered from her own 20-year battle with anorexia, she offers an authentic and sensitive insight into this misunderstood condition which is the mental health disorder with the highest mortality rate. E.K.J. Wright is based in East Sussex.

Reviews

Rebecca (Guest Review) - 23 Aug, 2021

I was lucky enough to get my hands on an early edition of this book. How do you Stop a Magpie Mobbing Your Mind? is a beautifully written tale of loss, love and nature. The Washwell Valley absolutely sparkles off the page and I really felt I was with Ella as she explored the landscape and the adventure unravels. The action rattled along at a great pace and the animal characters made me laugh out loud (particularly the pheasants).

The portrayal of Ella and her mum's mental health issues is sensitively handled and the final scene had me in tears.

I would thoroughly recommend this book to adults and young adults alike.

Alex (Guest Review) - 28 Aug, 2021

Hauntingly beautiful. This book is extremely well-written with its page-turning plot and poetic descriptions. And absolute must read for anybody looking for an enchanting and inspiring adventure story.

Jane (Guest Review) - 21 Nov, 2021

I really enjoyed this delightful, whimsical tale, which, for me, had a page turning quality to the very end. The fascinating use of language, although I imagine it might be rather challenging for a younger reader, for me, added to its magical quality. The extra dimension of an eating disorder, in one of the protagonists, intertwines with the other elements of the story, to bring about a small, light touch insight into this mental illness & the family concerns it can bring, are tactfully handled.
In a cynical world, this story seems a real breath of fresh air & with the underlying theme of the beauty & threatened destruction of the natural world within the microcosm of a fantastical valley, it seems right “ on point “ for our modern concerns about the earth.

Wilf (Guest Review) - 05 Dec, 2021

I found this tale of Ella and her mum and dad both poignant and moving. It takes place against the lush and diverse landscape of the beautiful Washwell valley in East Sussex, it’s natural beauty under threat from the money-making schemes of the local squire.
Weaved into this tale of saving nature, good versus evil and family trauma, are the damaging effects of an eating disorder on a family. These are handled with honesty and sensitivity.
Ultimately I believe it is a story of hope and optimism, told through the lens of the Sussex countryside and its animal inhabitants. I found it very evocative, thought provoking and an enjoyable read.