The Boy from Gorge River

 From New Zealand's Remotest Family to the World Beyond

Author: Chris Long

Hi Everyone

So I took a while to read this but enjoyed the diversity of it. Let's discuss the things I found interesting:

I picked it up to see what Chris Long thought of his life growing up so far away from any towns. I could say, 'far from civilization", but as you read you will quickly find that they were not isolated from people.  I think it is easy to look at these ideas and think of their lives as being isolated just because their housing was. Not the case! There were trampers, hunters, and planes going in and out quite regularly.  Yes, Chris lived a different lifestyle than most other children but I don't think it was as isolated from people as one would think. Chris and his family made many lifelong friendships. In fact, I would go as far to say that maybe they made more lifelong friends than many of us in our frantic quick paced, media-orientated lives.

I was intrigued by the things Chris made. Whitebait stands, fishing rods, things that even some of us adults would struggle to make, out of resources from the land. As for 'Health and Safety', it came down to common sense and learning the hard way. By reading this you soon find that Chris had more mishaps after leaving Gorge River than during his time experimenting as a child.

Another thing that interested me was how Chris interacted once leaving Gorge River and entering school, followed by the big wide world.  This is all covered in Part 2, extremely well.  Chris has gone on to do far more than most of us.  He has been from one corner of the world to the other. He has attempted things that many of us wouldn't think of possible. It is quite an impressive life he has traveled to date.

Want to know more? Then take the time to read Chris Long's side of the story and his adventures at Gorge River - living remotely, homeschooling, and being connected with nature; and the life that he grabbed hold of once he ventured into the quick-paced world beyond.

Description:

The story of how an extraordinary childhood shaped an extraordinary life.

On the West Coast of the South Island, past deep fiords and snow-capped mountains, Chris Long grew up two days' kike from the nearest road. He was born into the country's most isolated family, his parents committed to freedom from capitalist society and connection to the natural world.

In this inspiring memoir, Chris describes a childhood with nature on his doorstep - helping his father catch crayfish and his mother grow vegetables, playing with toys crafted from driftwood and jade, and learning to live in the wild - until, in his teenage years, he began to wonder: could he survive in the wider world?

By the son of the authors of  'A Life on Gorge River' and 'A Wife on Gorge River', 'The Boy from Gorge River' is an enthralling account of chasing adventure while forever staying true to where you come from. 

Happy Reading

Queen of the Tearling

 Author: Erika Johansen

Narrated by: Katherine Kellgren

Hi Everyone

What can I say about this audiobook other than I thoroughly enjoyed every second of it!

The main character could have risked being a young adult generically presented heroine, but she wasn't. She was strong-willed, yes, but she was still a woman who had her own background and was thrust into a different season of life without questioning. She took on her position so well! 

There were so many parts of this book that grabbed my attention and took me deeper into the plot. These ranged from character building to world building - all fantastically written into each page. As for the narration... it was, in all honesty, the narrator that gave the story life for me. Her voice matched that of the one in my mind. The dramatization worked perfectly in every scene. The narrator - Katherine Kellgren - owned these characters. She gave them life! 

I will listen to, or read the rest of the series. I want to know what becomes of Kelsea. I want to follow her into the unknown world in between the pages of this trilogy. Yes, it is official, I will have to add these to my library.

Description:

Kelsea Glynn is the sole heir to the throne of Tearling but has been raised in secret after her mother - a monarch as vain as she was foolish - was murdered for ruining her kingdom. For 18 years, the Tearling has been ruled by Kelsea's uncle in the role of Regent however he is but the debauched puppet of the Red Queen, the sorceress-tyrant of neighbouring realm of Mortmesme. On Kelsea's nineteenth birthday, the tattered remnants of her mother's guard - each pledged to defend the queen to the death - arrive to bring this most un-regal young woman out of hiding...
And so begins her journey back to her kingdom's heart, to claim the throne, win the loyalty of her people, overturn her mother's legacy and redeem the Tearling from the forces of corruption and dark magic that are threatening to destroy it. But Kelsea's story is not just about her learning the true nature of her inheritance - it's about a heroine who must learn to acknowledge and live with the realities of coming of age in all its insecurities and attractions, alongside the ethical dilemmas of ruling justly and fairly while simply trying to stay alive...

Happy reading

Anne of Green Gables

 

Hi Everyone

No one is ever too grown up to read Anne of Green Gables. Anne is just adorable! She talks more than me :)

The story is a classic, and I see why. Every page has something special. The language is witty, clever, elegant, and rich. I have read plenty of children's and young reader's books, but this one tops them all. I see history intertwined amongst the literacy, which will enable many talking points if read aloud to young people.  

Overall, I think anyone's reading list is not complete unless this is either added or already read. It is one of the best classic series on the market.  Now that is giving Anne of Green Gables some major credits because I like reading the classics and I have many of them on my favourites list.  I still think this one needs to be one of the top children's literature titles. 

When you find a copy and a spare moment, take the time to journey with Anne of Green Gables. Then we can all have a talk about Anne, literacy, and a bit of history.  I have the whole series to read so I will keep you updated.

Description: 

People are surprised when Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert, both very set in their ways, decide to adopt an orphan boy. But no-one is more astonished than Marilla and Matthew themselves when the boy they are expecting turns out to be a very talkative, very imaginative, very read-headed, very female girl. Anne has arrived at Green Gables. Her adventures, dreams, sorrows and joys are set down here in one of the most popular books ever written.

Happy reading

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