Out of the Ashes by Megan Norris tells the amazing story of Bali Bombings survivor Therese Fox.
Therese Fox and Bronwyn Cartwright, best friends and both nurses, have gone to Bali for their dream holiday. They spend an amazing week shopping, snorkelling, bungee jumping and generally doing all the tourist things.
They were heading to a health spa in the mountain resort of Ubud the next morning. To celebrate their last night in Kuta, they decided to have a farewell cocktail at the Sari Club. Unable to find the club, they ventured into Paddy’s Irish Bar instead.
On October 12th 2002 at 11.08 pm, Therese left Bronwyn dancing to Eminem and went to get two last drinks at the bar. And then everything changed.
Finding herself on fire, Therese mustered her strength and rolled to extinguish the flames. She followed the fire safety her children had learnt, drop, stay low, close your eyes and mouth and get out!
She crawled to a nearby doorway where her cries for help were heard by a UN peacekeeping soldier based in East Timor but on leave in Bali. Although injured himself, he assisted her back to his hotel.
The next part of Therese’s survival is due to who she refers to as her “guardian angels ”and now lifelong friends, Rada Vander Werff and Cath Byrne who were staying at that hotel.
They had arrived that day for their own dream holiday. Both are teachers and with basic first aid training were able to make life-saving decisions for Therese. Not to put her in the swimming pool but to pour bottles of chilled purified water over her. They were instrumental in getting her transported to a hospital, staying and helping the nurses and putting her name on the list to be brought back to Australia.
Although critically injured with terrible burns her thoughts are on finding Bronwyn and staying alive for her own children.
The book takes us with Therese during her long emotional and physically painful journey of recovery. We share the impact the event has caused her children and ex-partner, her mum and dad, and her twin brother. Their lives changed dramatically.
Tragically Bronwyn perished and we share the grief and struggle as her family dealt with their loss.
The book covers the impact on survivors, families of deceased and injured, those who witnessed the aftermath, the medical staff, and the Balinese people.
We also see the outcome for the terrorists responsible for the bombings.
Megan Norris has extensively researched the incident and presents the evidence in an understandable way — while dealing with Therese’s personal story with sensitivity. Therese has dedicated the book to her friend Bronwyn and the other 201 people who lost their lives and the many people who were injured.
Therese story spans the last 20 years. It is an emotional rollercoaster of struggles, sadness, survivor guilt and pain that is intensely moving and will have you in tears.
More importantly, it is an inspirational story where her strong, courageous character and her resolve not to let the terrorists win shine through.
The book is a worthwhile read. I wish Therese every success in her future.
A selection of our Beauty and Lace Club members are reading Out of the Ashes by Megan Norris. You can read their comments below, or add your own review.
I love to read, any book on any topic. I now love ebooks as they are easier to store, I was running out of bookshelves! My other interests are family, gardening and our beautiful King Charles spaniel dog who is my reading companion.
This is such an interesting and emotional book. It really opened my eyes to the Bali bombings and Therese Fox’s miraculous survival. Therese suffered incredibly and her long and painful battle to heal – physically and mentally – was very well documented.
This novel explores how the bombing impacted so many people around Therese including her children and ex-husband, as well as the family of her friend Bronwyn who sadly perished in the blast. I enjoyed hearing how Cath and Rada who had been with Therese on that awful night had kept up the friendship over the years and how the bombing had affected them. I felt so much admiration for Therese’s mother for her ever-faithful dedication and of course for Therese for never giving up.
This book may not be for everyone, as it is depicts a real and devastating and dreadful event as well as death and trauma but in the end you are left inspired by Therese’s courage and persistence.
Out of the Ashes, by Megan Norris, is as compelling as it is passionate. It is beautifully written from the heart and shows the tenacity and bravery of not only Therese Fox, but all those involved in the Bali bombing incident. It follows Therese’s trajectory from deaths door in Bali to her home in Victoria, Australia where she is thriving and living independently despite all previous medical predictions.
It is gripping in its detail; it is an easy step to transpose yourself into Therese’s shoes as she wandered the travel path in Bali as so many of young Australians have done, both before and after 2002. It’s equally as confronting to wonder if we would have shown the same courage and bravery as Therese managed to throughout her ordeal. Make no mistake, it was an absolute ordeal that she faced, and no doubt continues to face to this day.
Therese never wished to be seen in any heroic light, however, she is indeed a true hero in my eyes.
This is a fascinating record of a truly remarkable female Australian.
My congratulations go to Therese for her future and to Megan Norris for compiling such a legendary description of a life lived with immense courage and fortitude! Best wishes ladies! A truly beautifully written, emotional, true tale!
Out of the Ashes by Megan Norris is the inspiring story of Therese Fox who suffered horrific injuries in the Bali Bombings in 2002. Therese was dubbed the Miracle of Bali as no one expected her to survive.
Therese Fox and her friend Bronwyn Cartwright were enjoying the holiday of a lifetime in Bali when the decision to have a drink in the iconic Paddy’s Irish Bar left Bronwyn dead and Therese so critically injured no one expected her to survive.
While this book is predominantly about Therese and her painful but remarkable recovery it also talks of the ordinary everyday tourists and locals who showed tremendous courage to help the injured or help reunite family and friends with the injured. It talks of the impact the bombings had on the local Balinese people and the tourist industry there. It talks of the impact it had on survivors families and the families of those who perished.
This book has the potential to be filled with sadness – and there are certainly a few parts that had me tearing up, but mostly I found this to be filled with hope, with examples of the true human spirit to help those in need, but most of all the resilience and sheer determination of Therese to live and live life to the full again. This truly is an inspiring read.
Thank you Beauty and Lace, Big Sky Publishing and Megan Norris for the opportunity to read and review this book. To Therese Fox, to Bronwyn’s Family and all the other survivors mentioned in this book – thank you for sharing your stories with us.
Out of the Ashes is about survival, painful memories but mainly survival. When your holiday takes a turn for far worse events than one could imagine, you fight for your life. This is exactly what Therese Fox did!
Imagine going through what she did and then being able to live your life and tell your story of survival and trying to heal both physically and mentally. Bali! Holiday! Losing your friend to terrorist bombings!
A read which leaves you sad but inspired.
Thankyou Beautyandlace and Big Sky Publishing for the chance to read ‘Out Of The Ashes’ by Megan Norris.
This book, although very sad and confronting was both inspirational and enlightening.
Therese and her friend Bronwyn (both nurses) are off on their dream holiday to Bali.
Originally there were to be four to travel there. In the end only Therese and Bronwyn found themselves shopping, sightseeing and exploring the tropical paradise.
On their last night in Kuta before moving on they decided to enjoy the nightlife.
The terrorist attacks on 12/10/2022 occured at Paddy’s Irish Bar and the Sari Club and the events caused devastation and unbelievable suffering.
Therese a young mother of two was so badly burnt that this is an incredible story of survival. Her two children being the reason that Therese kept on against all odds, she was amazing.
So many people offered Therese wonderful support and her own mother Dawn dedicated herself to help in Therese’s recovery which was painful and long. So many others were caught up in the bomings and the horror for so many was a nightmare.
I found this so sad, but at the same time I had tremendous respect for Therese and all the others affected by this night.
This book was written with compassion and feeling by Megan Norris and it gave me a greater understanding of circumstances of that dreadful evening.
Thank you, Beauty & Lace, for allowing me to read and review ‘Out of the Ashes by Megan Morris’.
The Bali bombings rocked our world; all Australians were shocked to hear about the devastation that had occurred and mourned at the site of so much destruction. This book focuses on Therese Fox, a survivor, through her eyes and those of others who encountered her.
There was many a page where I had tears streaming down my face, in part as empathy but also in part in horror at what had occurred on that fateful night. The impacts of which were felt by many, changing their lives forever more. What I admired the most was the strength and determination of ‘The Miracle of Bali’ to take back her life with the strong desire to move forward and live life on her own; it was inspirational.
I am very happy to recommend the reading of this book. To the individuals who shared their stories within the book, thank you. Thank you ‘Beauty & Lace Bookclub’ for the opportunity to read ‘Out of the Ashes by Megan Morris’.
Out of the Ashes by Megan Norris is a compelling novel about the atrocities of terrorism – the damage caused to innocent people, as well as the long-lasting effects on survivors and their families.
With Megan’s meticulous research, she has provided us with an inspirational story of Therese Fox, an Australian mother who becomes known as ‘The Miracle Woman of Bali’. Against all odds, she defied all the medical professionals with her extraordinary will and fight for survival to make it home for her children.
Out of the Ashes tells Therese’s story of the 2002 Bali bombings, interwoven with many other victims’ stories. The heartbreak experienced by the families of the innocent people who didn’t survive such a tragic event is incredibly profound and enduring. The physical and emotional pain of survivors is equally devastating as well as difficult and life-changing for their families. Out of the Ashes is a reminder of the importance of empathy, support and mental health resources for those who are touched by a terrible event such as this, both directly and indirectly. It is also a reminder of the need for us all to have compassion in times of tragedy.
Thank you very much Beauty and Lace and Big Sky Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this inspirational novel.
Out of The Ashes by Megan Norris was confronting and at times hard to read but I couldn’t put it down.
The excitement of an overseas holiday in popular Kuta in Bali abruptly ended in terror on 12 October 2002 when the Sari Club and Paddy’s Irish Bar were attacked by terrorists. The aim was to inflict maximum carnage and they did that well, but the overall story was one of courage, bravery, hope and enduring friendships.
The book focusses on young mum Therese Fox who was inside Paddy’s with her good friend Bronwyn at the time of the attack. Sadly, Bronwyn was killed. Whilst Therese was gravely injured, and despite the odds being heavily stacked against her, with the support of a lot of brave people who were there at the time, Therese refused to give up and was determined to get home to her children. Both powerful and humbling, Therese’s painful and long road to recovery is written with sensitivity and left me in awe of the strength of the human spirit and bravery and determination of this young woman.
Thank you Beauty and Lace and Big Sky Publishing for the opportunity to read and review Out of the Ashes.
Thank you Beauty and Lace and Big Sky Publishing for the opportunity review “Out of Ashes”.
I was living abroad when the Bali Bombings occurred and to be truthful, there was very little coverage or mention of the Bali Bombings and therefore I have not known the true extent of the pain and suffering, not to mention loss which occurred during this horrendous time and reading those wonderful book made me feel as though I was there.
Out of the Ashes is truly captivating once you begin to read what Author Megan Norris manages to encapsulate. The kindness of human spirit, namely Cath and Rada, pain and suffering of young Mum Terese Fox and all the historical facts surrounding such a horrendous time in history. The resilience, human spirit, survival and events make for a very emotional and heart wrenching read, albeit a necessary one.
I thoroughly recommend this devastating story which will leave you in awe and inspired.