Former Shropshire author tells survivor's story to mark the 20th anniversary of Bali bombing

Megan Norris emigrated from Shrewsbury to Australia, where she is a well known writer and an advocate for women and child victims of violent crime.

Her recent book, Out of the Ashes, tells what Megan says is "the tragic, but inspirational story of a woman whose mother's love healed the scars of the Bali Bombing".

Therese Fox was a single mum, aged 29 when she went to Bali on holiday with her friend and fellow nurse Bronwyn Cartwright. They were in a bar on October 12, 2002, when a suicide bomber claimed the lives of 202 people including her friend.

Megan said: "I first met Therese a few months after Bali when she was still not expected to survive. She was in a full body pressure suit and undergoing life-saving surgeries while battling life-threatening infections which crept into her burns.

"I wrote her story for a national magazine for Mothers Day 2003 and have followed her progress ever since, visiting her on my trips to country Victoria where she lives.

"Last year, she rang me asking if I would write her story into a book. It is an astonishing battle for survival."

The finished book includes words written by the former Australian Prime Minister John Howard, who describes it as an inspirational and humbling story of hope, courage and love.

"This is my seventh true crime book and it has been a privilege to write it for Therese," said Megan.

"I have had to do a lot of research on the background to the terrorist attacks and have interwoven her astonishing story, with those of the people who battled to save her life."

Megan lives in South East Queensland on the Gold Coas, and has another book out early next year with Penguin Random House.

Her parents, Tom and Muriel Jones, still live in Mount Pleasant where she grew up.