The Desperate Journey

by Kathleen Fidler

The Desperate Journey tells the story of the Highland Clearances as they affect one small family. The Murrays are forced to load their possessions onto a cart and travel across Scotland to Glasgow. Here the children have to work in a mill and live in overcrowded and dirty lodgings. The family are offered the chance to join an emigrant ship bound for Hudson Bay in Canada, and make a perilous journey into a new life in the Red River Colony.

The spirit and resourcefulness of Davie and Kirsty shines through all their hardships as they witness the evictions and burning of the crofters' homes; endure the hardships of child labor in a Glasgow cotton mill; survive the Atlantic crossing on a disease-ridden ship; and witness bitter feuding among rival colonists.

Kathleen Fidler's skill at bringing characters to life has enthralled generations of readers and will no doubt do so for many more years to come.

Genres: Historical Fiction, School, Scotland, Childrens, Fiction

186 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1964

About the author

Born in 1899 in Coalville, Leicestershire, Kathleen Annie Fidler was educated at Wigan Girls' High School, and at St. Mary's College in Bangor, North Wales. She was the headmistress of the Scot Lane Evening Institute from 1924-30, and taught at St. Paul's Girls' School, Wigan, from 1925-30. Fidler married J.H. Goldie in 1930, and had one daughter and one son. She spent most of her married life in the Edinburgh area, and died in 1980.

A prolific author, who penned both children's books and scripts for the BBC, Fidler is perhaps best remembered as the creator of two series, one about the Brydon family, the other about the Deans.

Reviews

[Manybooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

So yes, I am most definitely saying that with her 1964 Middle Grade novel The Desperate Journey, Kathleen Fidler has indeed done a mostly wonderful and also generally historically accurate job textually depicting the late 18th to mid 19th century Highland Clearances and their aftermath (including showcasing the arrival of huge boatloads of poverty stricken and desperate individuals in North America, in what are today Canada and the USA, and basically that we can and should absolutely consider these people as being economic refugees). And most certainly, Fidler's descriptions in The Desperate Journey of the Highland Clearances (and the horrid reasons why they occurred) and that for oh so many of the affected crofting/farming families, their only option after being cast off the land (for mostly sheep) was in fact permanently leaving Scotland and making their way to the so-called New World by ship (and not in comfort either, but facing weeks and sometimes months at sea, with disease, hunger, death and major bouts of homesickness as constant companions), yes, this is all rendered incredibly, wonderfully richly and with much nuance by Kathleen Fidler in The Desperate Journey and always with authentic feeling detail, so that potential readers absolutely and indeed do get a real and palpable sense of authentic and realistic time and place (both in Scotland and later on in Canada).

But a novel, but any novel, is of course and naturally supposed to be much more than just historical setting and description. And while the latter is (as already pointed out above) for the most part immensely readable and enjoyable, Kahtleen Fidler's actual storyline for The Desperate Journey (a set of ten year old Scottish twins being forced to relocate with their family to Canada after being cast off their land), this has not really been all that exciting and reading interest retaining for me (and has ended up being in fact rather annoyingly dragging since Kathleen Fidler's character development in The Desperate Journey is basically pretty well non existent in my opinion and also painfully gender stratified and stereotyping). And sadly, most of Fidler's presented dialogue in The Desperate Journey, it really does read quite stiffly and stiltedly (because the author certainly spends far more of her text on the surroundings, on the historical background of the Highland Clearances and on the basics of what happened to cause the Murray Twins to have to relocate to Canada than on moving along the plot and developing her characters). Therefore, while set-up and surroundings are of course both necessary and important, with Kathleen Fidler concentrating so very much on this in The Desperate Journey and kind of at the expense of characterisation and a narrative that moves along with sufficient tempo and cadence (and showing developed and non stereotypical characters), this most definitely rather has left me more than a bit bored, distracted and not really all that engaged and interested in what is happening to any of the novel's featured persons and how The Desperate Journey is going to be unfolding for the Murrays, for their friends and neighbours once they have reached Canada (and thus unfortunately, this equally also means only a two star rating for The Desperate Journey).

[Moira McPartlin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a research book. A children book (10+)about one families struggle after the Highland Clearances and their emigration to Canada in the early 1800s

The historical information was interesting and the plot was straightforward but the characterizations were terrible.
Maybe this was because it was written in the 1960s. The main characters, twelve year old twins Kirsty and Davie were horrible stereotypes. Kirsty was wimpish and dippy and couldn't do anything without her brother's help. Davie was impulsive and brave and always saved the day. I wanted to slap him he was so annoying.
How times have changed? I know many twelve year old girls these days who would demolish a twelve year old boy's confidence with just a look.

[Kimberley Barker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book as a child as part of a history project. I still have my copy and have re-read it a few times over the years. It is a good story and gives children today a good idea of what life was like for Scottish children during the Highland Clearances and many peoples subsequent travel to America in the settlers times. I will encourage my kids to read it.

[Ninbooklover · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars for me.

It was a quick read and it was fun to read. I would like it to be a little bit longer.

Overall it's a good children's historian novel.

I didn't really have alot to say about this book.

[Sheena Macleod · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable

For middle grade and upward an enjoyable and well researched story of emigration following eviction from the highlands of Scotland.

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

The James Murray family was kicked out of their Scottish Highland home to make room for sheep farmers. They made their way to Glasgow, where they lived in undesirable circumstances. The children had to work as near slaves in a factory to help pay for rent and food. When the Murray's heard about an opportunity to move to Canada with the Hudson Bay Company, they jumped at the chance. However, their struggles continued. While sailing to the new country, there was danger of icebergs. There was also an illness onboard ship. The captain didn't want to deal with it and so dumped the passengers off at Churchill instead of York where they were supposed to go. They spent a miserable winter along the Hudson Bay but eventually snowshoed hundreds of miles south to the Red River Valley. There, they formed a colony. Unfortunately, The North West Company resented the Hudson Bay Company and tried to destroy the settlement several times. The plucky settlers held their ground, and their descendents are still living in Manitoba today.

[Dalia Hazem · Rating 3 out of 5]

Such a nice book, that gave me a good overlook about how it was like in Scotland during 1812 .. I liked more how the Murray family was .. All members of it cared really for eachother.

[Sophia · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first part of the book when they're in Scotland is pretty good, but the last few chapters read more like an exposition dump or summary than a novel. Despite them being twins, Kirsty acts and is treated like a much younger child than her brother. And while it's likely a product of its time, it's incredibly racist in its depiction of indigenous people

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very good story, all about the Highland Clearances.

Having recently been on holiday to Scotland and visited a museum about the Clearances and how many Scottish families travelled to Canada and settled there, I could relate to the adventures of the Murray family.

After having their home burned they travel to Glasgow to look for work, but its nothing like their beautiful Highland home. Then they get opportunity to resettle in Canada. They survive the sea voyage and have many adventures in the new land. A good book.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite some abominable characterizations (as it was written in 1960's the heavily stereotyped twin leads are unbelievably vigilant and almost annoying), The Desperate Journey is a timeless tale and the writing skill is so competent and adroit that you almost forget the looming sexism, i.e, the part where all the LADIES (specifically mentioned) are crying for their painfully abscessed feet. Otherwise a thoroughly enjoyable read based on my country's history.

[Kirsty Spittal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember having this book read to us at primary school. Can't remember much but would like to read it again

[alishamarie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I found it so interesting to learn about what life was like for those who suffered from the highland clearances and the journey they had to endure just to have peace.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting observation of the Highland Clearances, but definitely a book for children and not a crossover.