A WRITER’S emotional account of losing both of his parents within weeks of each other as a child has been printed by a major publishing house.

Orphan Boys, by Phil Mews, is a true story about the author and his younger brother Roger, whose idyllic childhood on the family farm near Stanhope in Weardale was shattered when they were orphaned in the late 1970s.

Self-published last year, it went on to sell thousands of copies and earned high praise from readers across the country. Television presenter Sandi Toksvig was among them, describing the book as “a charming, heart-felt, heart-breaking memoir”.

Its success did not go unnoticed and it has now been published by John Blake, part of the Bonnier Publishing Group. The new edition boasts a redesigned front cover, additional chapters and the tag line “It takes a village to raise a child”.

It is a fitting summary, for after the death of Harry and Alma Mews, a well-known farming couple in Weardale, the community rallied around the children.

The couple’s sudden deaths left the eldest son Richard, who was just 18 at the time, in charge of the farm, and with responsibility for Phil, seven, and Roger, five. Realising the strain on Richard was too great, Stanhope Masonic Lodge paid for both children to board at Barnard Castle School.

Phil, who now lives in Barrhead in Scotland, described writing his first book as an “emotional journey”. He was heartbroken when Roger, 44, died suddenly at his home in Mallorca six months before it was released. And, despite his joy at securing a publishing deal, he is sad his brother cannot share in its success.

“I am delighted the book has done so well and my family are delighted too,” said Phil, 48, who works in television production.

“When the publishers sent over the new cover design, my first reaction was to show it to my younger brother but sadly he is no longer with us. It is bitter sweet because I want to be able to share it with the person who lived through it with me. Roger took those steps alongside me.”

Although the book is centred around a family tragedy, many readers have commented on how heart-warming it is. To Phil, it is a story full of love, strength and hope – an uplifting tale of his family's survival and how they faced the huge challenges that life threw at them.

He said: “The reaction I have had to the book has been wonderful. Friends and family have been so supportive.”

  • The paperback edition of Orphan Boys costs £7.99. It is available to buy on Amazon and in selected supermarkets and book stores