Fire, Bed and Bone

by Henrietta Branford

This award-winning classic speaks back to the divisions of fourteenth century Britain from the perspective of a much-loved hunting dog, now with a new introduction from Celia Rees, author of Witch Child.

Branford's Guardian Children's Fiction Prize-winning novel is a moving narrative about injustice, upheaval and survival in fourteenth century Britain. From the point of view of a devoted and sought-after hunting dog, her story focuses on the societal tension and oppression that lead to her beloved master Rufus and Comfort being arrested for heresy during the Peasants' Revolt, and how she must then struggle to raise her puppy Fleabane and forge a life away from the cruel landlord and violence happening all around her. Ultimately an uplifting story about loyalty and hope.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Animals, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Historical, Dogs

176 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 3, 1997

About the author

Henrietta Branford was a British novelist for young people.
She was born in India in 1946, but was raised in the New Forest in Hampshire, England. During her short career she won the Smarties Prize in 1994 for Dimanche Diller (Harper Collins) and the Guardian Fiction Prize in 1998 for Fire, Bed and Bone (Walker Books); she was twice shortlisted for the Guardian Fiction Prize, in 1994 and 1997. Her progress and development as a writer was watched with interest by publishers, critics and fellow writers alike.

Reviews

[``Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary: in 1381 England a hunting dog recounts what happens to her beloved master Rufus and his family when they are arrested on suspicion of being part of the peasants rebellion lead by Wat Tyler and the preacher John Ball.

Although slanted for the young adult audience any animal loving adult fan of historical fiction should find this book set during the time of the Peasant Revolt in Medieval England enjoyable to read as well.

The author grew up around hunting dogs and was able to bring this particular dog named Dog to life. Dog is the epitome of loyalty and will help her master hunt and survive once he becomes an outlaw. Although she lives a hard life trying to survive in difficult times Dog counts herself lucky to have known fire, bed and bone.

[Darcy (Daydreamingofbookdragons) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book, just not one that really captured my attention. I did read this years and years ago and I think I enjoyed it, but I honestly can't remember.

It was short, so I don’t really have much commentary on it other than why did everyone say each others names so much when speaking? You don’t do that in a normal conversation.

“How are you doing Mary?”

“Why I’m good Harriet! And you?”

“I too am quite good, Mary.”

“Well that’s lovely, Harriet.”

“Mary, I have to say this conversation is quite stimulating.”

“Why Harriet, I do concur!”

Just… no.

Also, it was said that Rufus was rather old for Comfort (his wife), but this was set in the 1300’s when I’m fairly sure 12-14 year olds married 40 year olds. That means that Rufus was either 60+ - which would be frankly ancient for those times - or Comfort was 10 or under. Ick.

Other than that, it was interesting to learn about that period of time through the eyes of a dog, and I think it would be quite a good read for someone younger than I.

[wanderer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can I give this six stars? It's one of the best middle-grade novels I've read, and an excellent way for kids to learn about history. Not just anyone can pull off an animal as a narrator without sounding silly, but Branford does. And it's a sad book--show me an animal book that doesn't make you cry!--but not unbearably so. Just an excellent, excellent read.

*Second time through, reading aloud to my students...they loved it as much as I did. One sixth grade boy said, "I just wish this book would go on forever."

[Heidi Burkhart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written in 1997 this book didn't get much attention in the US. Written by a British author it won a number of awards in the UK. and is generally considered to be Branford's best book.

I heard about her through a book that I was reading by Philip Pullman on the topics of writing and fiction. I couldn't wait to get a copy of "Fire, Bed, and Bone," and finally found a used copy one online. The story is seen through the eyes of a dog and that became a large stumbling block for me since I can barely read animal stories for fear of their suffering at the hands of humans. It sat on my bedside table in a stack of books for a couple of years. Finally I decided to take it up and read it. This is a brilliant historical fiction story taking place in Great Britain in the late 1300's focusing on the Peasant's Uprising. This event was brought to life in a vivid and easily understandable story. I would recommend it highly for classroom use in studying this specific event. The event becomes vivid and unforgettable through the reader's eyes.

The most beautiful parts of the book were the things that are revealed through "Old Dog" in her thoughts and actions. Very beautiful, and extremely memorable.

Though the perfect target audience is probably MS I would highly recommend this book to adults who love animals and would like to read the lovely words that Branford has written.

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

A small novella written from the perspective of a hunting dog during a 14th century peasant revolt.

Can I just say that this is one of my favorite titles? It rolls off the tongue so well, and what a perfect summation of what makes a dog different from a wolf, that experience of knowing fire, bed, and bone.

Branford’s prose is such a treat, so uniquely lyrical and succinct. She sells the perspective quite well, though I do think it might have been more interesting had she not taken the approach of having the unnamed protagonist able to comprehend human speech. It’s very War Horse in that regard.

[Madeline Goldsworthy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful and sad tale told from the perspective of a dog which I love. It is a book that you can enjoy for the first time like myself, as an adult at 30. It is classified as a children’s story but I would suggest older children as it does contain heavy themes. It tells of murder, execution, domestic violence and animal abuse.

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read Fire Bed & Bone while camping in Big Basin. The author did a lovely job of writing from the perspective of a hunting dog in the 14th century. The story was both historical---the revolt against serfdom, and emotional---the dichotomy of wanting freedom versus serving a master. The life of a dog, since its so much shorter than a person's, helps make a perspective on youth, parenting, friendship over a lifetime more doable for the author. And in this Author's case---her life was relatively short too. She died when she was 53 years old--my age now.

[Nick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about a dog side of the story being held captive by people while his owners are prisoners.
And a rebellion is cooking up faster than a soufflé.
Don’t forget the rumor of a disease.
Will it turn out happily after like every fairy tale about a medieval world?
Or will it be a sad disgusting end of a medieval massacre?
What I like about this book is how it is from a dogs point of view.
What I learned from this book is the thing that keeps you going is family and love.

[Andrea Renfrow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent historical fiction, accurate and gives a thorough description of life as a serf from the eyes of a dog. Hard for sensitive readers, if Call of the Wild is hard on them emotionally, this will be too.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this dog's-eye view of the Peasant's Revolt during Richard II's reign. Two paws up!

[Earthing · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful story, beautiful writing.

[Lucrezia · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favourite books as a child

[Casey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a sweet little story that was well written for the age group it was meant for. Well worth the read.

[Cora Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fire, Bed, and Bone
Book Review by Cora Adams

Fire, Bed, and Bone by Henrietta Branford is a beautiful and fascinating story. It is set in 1381 England around the events of the Peasants’ Revolt. The story follows a serf named Rufus, his wife Comfort, and their three children. It is narrated by their un-named female hunting dog. Seeing the events from the dog’s point of view is a mesmerizing experience. This book is incredible not only for the powerful story it tells, but also for its poetic writing. The words are filled with an indescribable, wild beauty. The rich descriptions and the viewpoint lend the story an ethereal quality.

The story begins at the home of Rufus and Comfort. They live in a little cottage and farm the Great House’s lands with the other peasants. Not long before, the Black Death had torn through the small English village. Now, there are fewer serfs to work the lands. Taxes are high to pay for the king’s interminable wars. One night, poor folk come to Rufus and Comfort’s home and whisper words of freedom. Rufus and Comfort listen. The whisperers return and more like them. They all speak of rebellion. The serfs desire freedom and are willing to fight for it, but if they rebel, can they win? What would happen if Rufus and Comfort are caught?

Fire, Bed, and Bone is a deep and powerful story. The themes of loyalty and family are intertwined throughout the book. The extensive vocabulary, rhythm, and poetic wording make this book more than a well-told tale. They add depth and movement, which allows the reader to see, hear, and feel the setting. This draws the reader in to experience the emotion and thoughts of the old dog who sings the tale. Fire, Bed, and Bone also depicts real history. There are few stories about the 1381 Peasants’ Revolt as insightful and well-written as Fire, Bed, and Bone by Henrietta Branford.

Although Fire, Bed, and Bone is a great book, it is not geared for all children. It is appropriate for ages thirteen and up. The violence is not graphic, but is matter of fact. People are killed and children, adults, and dogs are beaten. In a suspenseful scene, a primitive group of people are attacked and killed, but the violence isn’t described. Fire, Bed, and Bone is not a fantasy and nobody does magic. However, the dogs can see what they call “shadow people,” who seem to be a visual echo of things that occurred a very long time before the story; one dog sees a vision of the future without understanding what it sees. Dogs mating is mentioned but not described. The word “bitch” is used as a term for a female dog. A woman has difficulty giving birth and the baby is stillborn. A man describes the effect a plague had on his village and lists his relatives, including children, who died of the disease. Because of these situations, Fire, Bed, and Bone is not a book for young children.

[Adam Stevenson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I needed something light between ‘Middlemarch’ and ‘Humphrey Clinker’ and settled on ‘Fire, Bed & Bone’ by Henrietta Branford. Expecting a dog’s-eye view of the peasant’s revolt, I got something a little different.


Again, my choice for a little light reading was rather skew-whiff. This book includes torture, murder, disease, animal-cruelty and lots of domestic abuse. With just over 100 pages in a large print, it may be a children’s book and physical light, but it’s not light reading.

While the book is told from the point of view of an un-named dog, it is more about the tenacity of life rather than history. Her masters are swept up in the periphery of the revolt, she hears some talk of King and Barons and they meet John Ball briefly - but in many ways the human lives aren’t important except how they impinge on the dog’s story. We start with her giving birth to three pups and ends with her reflecting on the pups that made it and those that didn’t, concluding that ‘it takes a lot of puppies to make one dog’. The peculiarly bleak take-away from the book being that it’s worth throwing life after life at the wall, in the hope that some survive. (What a mixed metaphor).

The dogs were suitably doggish, lots of attention to body language and smell and a different way of structuring their own society, but they did overhear (and understand) a lot of on-the-nose dialogue about things they couldn’t possibly know or understand. Though there was a doggishness to them, they didn’t quite embody the other-natured quality of animals the way the rabbits in ‘Watership Down’ did but I suppose the dog did live in and around humans.

There was a particularly unnerving chapter where the dogs and humans hang out at an abandoned house and the dogs see peculiar shadow-people with very faint scents that live out some gory period of history. A dog’s-eye view of ghosts in an interesting idea - especially when she then sees her master hover and the air and we know the premonition of hanging only has so long to take place.

Overall, this book was strange and hinted at something stranger still, which its brevity and audience of children meant it couldn’t fully deliver.

[Louis Parsons · Rating 5 out of 5]

I studied this in English as an 11-year-old, and it
stayed with me. It won both the Smarties Book Prize and Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize in
1997, deservedly so in my opinion. This is a highly original tale, narrated by a serf’s hunting
bitch, set at the time of Wat Tyler’s Rebellion, also called the Peasant’s Revolt, in 1381. This
was the culmination of social and political tensions following the Black Death, high taxation
following the Hundred Years’ War, and a rising distrust in leadership. The dog narrator is a
brilliant concept, allowing us to see and hear human interactions, while keeping them at
arm’s length – the canine narrator belongs to a family accused of treason to the Crown. The
poor creature struggles to raise her pups and survive alongside her suffering human family.
She is faced with a difficult choice: whether to live alongside humanity and the comforts
they provide – fire, bed, and bone – or to ‘revolt’ and join the wolves, exchanging comfort
for freedom. This links clearly to the conflict faced by the human characters enmeshed in
the turmoil of revolt. In her words, "I am not, nor ever will be, truly wild. Because I have
known fire, bed, and bone. Because I am a hunting dog, a dog who must work with a man.
Because I want to live, not die with a muzzle around my jaws."
We identify with her and empathise with the characters, human and canine. With its short
chapters and vividly drawn dog characters, this would be a perfect novel to read aloud to
KS2, immersing them in the medieval period. Some violent incidents, none described too
graphically. 9 +

[Casimir Laski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fire, Bed, & Bone is one of those little gems that makes reading a dozen lesser obscure books worthwhile. Told from the perspective of a hunting dog as she and her human masters struggle to survive the upheaval of the English Peasant’s Revolt of 1381, following the ravages of the Black Death and a lull in the Hundred Years’ War, Branford’s novel is written in prose that manages to be both elegantly simple and yet beautifully evocative, right from the magnificent opening line:

“The wolves came down to the farm last night and spoke to me of freedom.”

Despite often being classified as “children’s literature,” Branford doesn’t pull any punches in her portrayal of medieval English life as the unnamed protagonist, tempted to abandon the comforts of civilization, navigates a rural England awash with notions of rebellion and freedom. Featuring a compelling main character, providing well-researched insight into a fascinating period of history most people know far too little about, and wrapped from beginning to end in resplendent prose, Fire, Bed, & Bone is a must-read for fans of xenofiction. [9/10]

[Madeline Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went into Fire, Bed, and Bone knowing it was a children’s book, but the writing really impressed me—at times, it was better than a lot of adult fiction I’ve read. The story is told from the point of view of a dog (which sounds strange, but it really works), and it gives a unique, grounded look at the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381—a bit of history I didn’t know much about.

I loved how it didn’t feel overly simplified. It treats young readers with respect and weaves historical detail in naturally. The ending stood out to me too—there’s this quiet feminist strength in Comfort and Beton,the two sisters, who learn to rely on each other while the world of men, including King Richard’s rule, seems to fall apart. It’s subtle but powerful.

Overall, a beautifully written, thoughtful little book with a lot more depth than you might expect.

[Capn]

Promo blurb at back of The Midwinter Watch:

England's peasants are tired of the hardship and injustice they suffer at the hands of harsh landlords. Rebellion is in the air, bringing dramatic and violent upheaval to the lives of families like Rufus, Comfort and their children - and even to dogs, like the old hunting bitch, who is the narrator of this unfortable tale.

This gripping and vivid story by a Smarties Book Prize-winning author is an extraordinary achievement, depicting the tumult and tragedy of the Peasants' Revolt through the eyes, ears and nose of a dog.

[Cameron · Rating 5 out of 5]

I last read this as a child, in Scotland, before I'd even discovered the genre of historical fiction. It was nice to read it again, in sight of the New Forest (where the author was from), and to be able to compare it, favourably, to the works of Ken Follett, Conn Iggulden, and Bernard Cornwell.
Historical Fiction with a twist. Set in England, after the Great Plague, when the marches for reforms were occurring; it details these events, alternating with the life of the protagonist, an aging hunting dog. She's a very pleasant narrator, the author able to make the reader equally interested in marches and soldiers, as in hunting and whelping puppies.
An easy, and a pleasant read.

[Mythical Mishmash · Rating 2 out of 5]

Actual rating 2.5 out of 5

Despite being a short story, this book was certainly a drag to get through. The narrative was boring and repetitive, characters were rather one dimensional and all the subject matter throughout could've been handled better if this were written for an older audience. How does this pass as being a kids' book when it's about a terrible, bloody revolt, going into so much detail as to mention heads on pikes and the needless murder of hundreds of women and children? The questionable age gap between Comfort and Rufus was uncomfortable to read about, too.

I wanted to like this, but it was just boring and unnecessarily cruel.

[Fyo · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well, I'm depressed now.

The Peasants' Revolt and its aftermath from the viewpoint of a dog. Obviously since the narrator is a dog, she doesn't have much direct experience with the Revolt, though the main events are described by humans, so it focuses more on her life than the time period. I was hoping for more engagement with the history but it makes sense. What parts of the history do appear are integrated into the story very well, neither giving the narrator too much knowledge nor forgetting it's supposed to take place in 1381 and the years after. The references to real figures, like John Ball (who actually appears early on but is not named) are fun and contextualize it well.

I was reminded several times of The Book of the Dun Cow series, especially the third book because much of it focuses on several wolves. Though mostly, like the Book of the Dun Cow, it's really violent, both in descriptions of hunting and the abuse of both humans and animals. It was yet another example of my favorite trope, "Making The Villain Super Obviously Evil Through Abuse." Yay. I'm not a prude and I'm not against violence in children's media, but I thought all the instances of animal abuse probably shouldn't be in a children's book. I do know that had I read this when I was a child, I would have been very upset by it.

"But Fyo," I hear you say, "Redwall is pretty violent and that's one of your favorite books from childhood." Redwall's violence is different though-- it's played out in an anthropromorphic medieval universe where much of the violence is combat-related and wasn't depictions of abuse that happens in the real world. I don't know why I'm so hung up on this but I am.

The ending is not as depressing as it could be, I'll give it that. The Peasants' Revolt did not end well and I did not expect this to be a happy book, but at least it avoided a total downer ending. After this and the last book I read, I need to read something happy.

[H.L. Gibson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I usually don't care for books written from an animals POV, but since this one was recommended for ten- to fourteen-year-olds, I gave it a pass and was pleasantly surprised that the era it depicted as well as the difficult subject matter weren't dumbed down. There's much more than a dog story going on here, and it was well done.

[Christy Gould · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. I appreciate the unusual perspective (the dog's) and the realistic portrayal of life in England in the 14th century. I don't so much love books about dogs, let alone from the dog's perspective. The technical term for a female dog just isn't used in that way so much anymore, and I get itchy about having my mid-to-late-elementary-aged kids reading it frequently.

[Tiffany Lynn Kramer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fire, Bed & Bone isn't a tale I would normally go for. I like my animal centered stories to lean a little more fantastical but after hearing some lines quoted I found myself itching to read it. On multiple occasions I did find myself wishing Dog would have played a more active role in the world around her but by the end I had to admit it was a lovely, bittersweet tale.

[D Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic historical novel for children. Older more mature children because there is human deprivation and lots of death. But I really enjoyed this.
I would use as a year 6 guided read with children I knew would be ok.

Recieved as part of RT=RP

[Yellowoasis · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Peasants’ Revolt of 1381, told through the eyes of a faithful dog owned by Rufus and his wife Comfort. This book is heartfelt without being sentimental, and its doggy ethos feels realistic. There are some really – and realistic – distressing sections, but the book is satisfying.

[Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a charming novella for any dog-lover, reading from the eyes of such a loyal animal who is happy with the simplest things; fire, bed and bone. I found this book so intriguing and would definitely read again.

[Shazza Maddog · Rating 5 out of 5]

The dog is the narrator of this novella. The time is the late 1300's, the land is England, and the peasants are restless with the constant taxation of what little income they eke out as serfs under their lords' rule. The dog has no name, other than, "the old dog", which she is referred to throughout the story. She is a hunting dog, one who works hard for her kind master, Rufus, and his wife, Comfort.

The dog is ready to birth puppies and hides them in the barn; three she names Fleabane, Squill and Parsnip. When she is ready, she returns with them to the family home. We find out Rufus is older though we never find out how old - the dog witnesses Rufus telling Comfort the story of his life and how they met and we find out Rufus is at least twice Comfort's age. For that, they have two boys and a girl, and are raising them best they can.

Rufus and Comfort are unhappy in their lot, though, and are listening to the speeches of John Ball and spreading word of rebellion. Because of that, they are taken away, leaving their children behind. The dog rescues the children by going to a neighbor's house, leading Ede back to Will, Wat and Alice, so she will take them in. The dog returns to Rufus' plot of land only to find two of her puppies are dead; killed and eaten by a wild cat, leaving behind only Fleabane. The dog takes him and runs into the woods, where she hides out, raising Fleabane to become a hunter like herself. Still, she cannot resist returning to the little village, and spying on Rufus and Comfort, who are chained and locked in a stable with another couple. The dog finds out another couple has moved into her home when she returns one night, seeing lights within the house, only to be captured by a man who beats her and takes Fleabane from her to give to his father, the miller, and one of the crueler men in town.

Soldiers eventually come, taking Rufus, Comfort and the woman (her husband died in captivity) to be tried and hanged. The dog follows them and outlaws attack, killing two of the soldiers (though the third lives at the insistence of Rufus, being a young man and "a good sort"). Rufus, Comfort and the dog, and the soldier, John, remain with the outlaws until word comes that the rebels are pardoned and can return home. Of course, Rufus and Comfort find their house has been taken and move in with Ede, who has been starving herself to take care of the children. Everything is fine for a little space of time, then Rufus and Comfort are again taken by soldiers and marched away, with their children, and the dog follows. What awaits them destroys the human family and sends the dog back into the woods. She returns to collect Fleabane, along with the help of a large black cur, and the three of them live as ferals for a while but the dog is not wild, and returns eventually to her human family, with Fleabane having gone to another family.

The dog's return shows that little has changed; those with a modicum of power still stomp those who don't; and Wat and Will have been placed in servitude to the miller. There is a lovely exchange regarding the miller, the boys, the dog and the black cur, which ties the story up nicely.

This is a good children's book and I enjoyed it very much, particularly in line with the historical aspect, as well as the dog's point of view. I would recommend it for children between eight and ten years old, for them to get at least an idea of what happened in the Middle Ages and use this story as a springboard to exploring history in general. Death and birth is mentioned casually in the story, though the horrors that accompany both are lessened, probably due to the dog's point of view.

[Joshua Mousey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fire Bed & Bone is not as accessible as I thought it'd be since it occurs in an obscure period of history, but that's not the story's fault. My historical fiction catalogue is lacking, but extensive knowledge of its time period isn't fully needed to understand the rest of the story.

On another note the writing style is very easy going, yet evocative. I like how the scenery and characters are described so evocatively through minimal words. Nothing felt like a drag or lingered longer than necessary. I was mostly able to keep track of story beats due to the brevity of the phrases. At the same time, this style of efficient came at the cost of a steady pace, resulting in psychic distance that's wider than I'd like in certain places, although it still fluctuates. Time moves really fast in the book, as in many months go by and seasons change every 3 to 4 chapters or so. I would've thought there would be a little more time dedicated to the mother raising Fleabane, or possibly grow resentment to the people who took Rufus and Comfort and Lupus for treating her so bad. I also think some of it could've been used to check on what Fleabane has been up to when he became a full grown dog.

I believe Fleabane and the mother dog could've stayed with Serlo, Blackthorn and the others as her new Fire Bed & Bone. After the hell she endured recently with humans during the revolt, I would've thought she'd consider her old home unsafe now. She was sustaining herself just fine in the forest with Serlo and Blackthorn when the guards were imprisoning everyone. It makes her choices to go back to the farm off considering the recent grief it gave her; getting tied up and beaten by Lupus, her old family growing old and not remembering her, the death of Rufus, etc. Her new life in the forest with her new pack would tied back to the book's foreshadowing opening line.

Still loved it though, & strongly recommend it to anyone intrigued by animal stories as a starting place.