Dear Olly

Written by Michael Morpurgo

Narrated by Paul Mcgann

Read by Paul McGann, ‘Dear Olly’ was written by Michael Morpurgo in 2000.
A stunning performance and narrative.

Ollie’s brother wants to go and work with children who have been made orphans, through war, in Africa. He wants to be a clown and make them laugh. His mother and sister want him to stay in England and go to university.

Hero, a swallow, has a journey to make too. He must fly to Africa for the winter to join all the other swallows. His journey is difficult and fraught with danger.

Three separate stories are woven into one powerful and moving novel whose central theme exposes the horrors of war and of landmines, but also the endurance of the human spirit.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Oct 4, 2010
• ISBN: 9780007420568

Michael Morpurgo

Michael Morpurgo OBE is one of Britain's best loved writers for children, with sales of over 35 million copies. He has written over 150 books, has served as Children’s Laureate, and has won many prizes, including the Smarties Prize, the Writers Guild Award, the Whitbread Award, the Blue Peter Book Award and the Eleanor Farjeon Lifetime Achievement Award. With his wife, Clare, he is the co-founder of Farms for City Children. Michael was knighted in 2018 for services to literature and charity.

Reviews for Dear Olly

[rata_4 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

a quick, but good read that ticked all the boxes for me in terms of a 'chill out read'. A moving story of a brother, a sister and a swallow, and how all are in some way victims of the horrors of landmines. Olly's brother Matt wants to go and work with children who have been made orphans, through war, in Africa. He wants to be a clown and make them laugh. His mother and sister want him to stay in England and go to university. Hero, a swallow, has a journey to make too. He must fly to Africa for the winter to join all the other swallows. His migration is difficult and fraught with danger. Three separate stories are woven into one moving novel whose central theme exposes the horrors of war and of landmines, but also the endurance of the human spirit.

[missnix_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

An easy book to read with an exellent story. Sad. Makes you think more about others.

[ariadnearanea · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A lovely story about having the courage to follow your dreams, and about recovering from disasters - just not, to me, very well told. Not bad - but the characters weren't very believable, and the dialogue was rather unconvincing. A bit disappointing, but it won't stop me from trying another of Morpugo's books.