Escape From Cold Ditch is the story of a chicken called Fleur who must save some imprisoned hens from their miserable existence in Cold Ditch Farm. Fleur must use all of her wit and cunning to take down the farm from the inside.
A starting note: Before I had even started Escape From Cold Ditch, I was concerned that the book might be a bad attempt at trying to recreate Orwell's Animal Farm, as even the name itself gives off an Orwellian vibe. Fortunately I was wrong. Although Escape From Cold Ditch does have some Orwellian aspects to it, it does not have an overpowering Animal Farm scent, bearing in mind that the story line is totally different and is based on an entirely separate issue. These Orwellian aspects, such as satire, do however fit very comfortably in the storyline.
The most obvious similarity between Escape From Cold Ditch and Animal Farm is the concept of a parallel, in the case of Escape From Cold Ditch, battery farming. The message that Davidson gives off is unwittingly clear and does make you contemplate your own position on issues such as these. The other parallel is of course, the escape attempts from the actual Colditz in Germany, where many men were imprisoned. The novel although about animals still manages to put forward to us the conditions under which the prisoners lived and ultimately gives a very strong feeling of injustice and cruelty.
All of the characters in the novel have personalities that can be identified in real people, giving fuel to the imagination. They are strong from the beginning, each becoming quickly distinct in their mind set allowing the reader to form fast attachments as I did to Homer. In fact, one of my favourite things about this novel is the incredibly clever names and use of symbolism such as 'Homer' who tells amazing stories, relating to the Homer, writer of the Iliad and the Odyssey.
It was this and the heart-warming image of a chicken that can understand English that resulted in my thorough enjoyment of the novel. This can be enjoyed by anyone of any age and I am delighted to have read it.
ONE SENTENCE: A heart felt and warming novel, Escape From Cold Ditch will leave you thinking with skilful Orwellian simplicity.
