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Rēgu bērns
"Rēgu bērns" ir poētisks stāsts par Medijas dzīves līkločiem - no bērnības līdz pat sirmam vecumam. Meklējot atbildi uz jautājumu - kas pasaulē ir visskaistākais? -, Medija izbrauc tālas zemes un iepazīst svešus ļaudis, tomēr atbildi tā arī neatrod. Kādu dienu meitene pludmalē sastop Spalvi - neredzēti daiļu jaunekli, kas vairāk par visu mīl brīvību. Aizkustinošs stāsts par mīlestību, cerībām, vilšanos un dzīves piepildījuma meklējumiem.
176 pages, Hardcover
First published December 1, 2007
33 people are currently reading
1256 people want to read
About the author
Sonya Hartnett
42 books311 followersSonya Hartnett (also works under the pseudonym Cameron S. Redfern) is, or was, something of an Australian child prodigy author. She wrote her first novel at the age of thirteen, and had it published at fifteen. Her books have also been published in Europe and North America. Her novels have been published traditionally as young adult fiction, but her writing often crosses the divide and is also enjoyed by adults.
"I chose to narrate the story through a child because people like children, they WANT to like them," says Sonya Hartnett of THURSDAY'S CHILD, her brilliantly original coming-of-age story set during the Great Depression. "Harper [the young narrator] is the reason you get sucked into the characters. Even I, who like to distance myself from my characters, felt protective of her."
The acclaimed author of several award-winning young adult novels--the first written when she was just 13--Australian native Sonya Hartnett says she wrote THURSDAY'S CHILD in a mere three months. "It just pulled itself together," she says. "I'd wanted to set a story in the Depression for some time, in an isolated community that was strongly supportive. Once the dual ideas of the boy who tunneled and the young girl as narrator gelled, it almost wrote itself--I had the cast, I had the setting, I just said 'go.' " Accustomed to writing about edgy young adult characters, Sonya Hartnett says that identifying with a seven-year-old protagonist was a challenge at first. "I found her difficult to approach," she admits. "I'm not really used to children. But once I started, I found you could have fun with her: she could tell lies, she could deny the truth." Whereas most children know "only what adults want them to know," the author discovered she could bypass that limitation by "turning Harper into an eavesdropper and giving her older siblings to reveal realities."
In her second book with Candlewick Press, WHAT THE BIRDS SEE, Sonya Hartnett once again creates a portrait of childhood. This time the subject is Adrian, a nine-year-old boy living in the suburbs with his gran and Uncle. For Adrian, childhood is shaped by fear: his dread of quicksand, shopping centers, and self-combustion. Then one day, three neighborhood children vanish--an incident based on a real case in Australia in the 1960s--and Adrian comes to see just how tenuous his safety net is. In speaking about Adrian, the author provocatively reveals parallels between herself and her character. She says, "Adrian is me in many respects, and many of the things that happen to him happened to me."
Sonya Hartnett's consistently inspired writing has built her a legion of devotees. Of THURSDAY'S CHILD, Newbery Honor-winning author Carolyn Coman says, "Hartnett's beautifully rendered vision drew me in from the very start and carried me along, above and under ground, to the very end. This book amazed me." The achingly beautiful WHAT THE BIRDS SEE has just as quickly garnered critical acclaim. Notes PUBLISHERS WEEKLY in a starred review, "Hartnett again captures the ineffable fragility of childhood in this keenly observed tale. . . . Sophisticated readers will appreciate the work's acuity and poetic integrity." Sonya Hartnett's third young adult novel, STRIPES OF THE SIDESTEP WOLF was named an American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults.
Sonya Hartnett lives near Melbourne, Australia. Her most recent novels are SURRENDER, a mesmerizing psychological thriller, and THE SILVER DONKEY, a gently told fable for middle-grade readers.
"I chose to narrate the story through a child because people like children, they WANT to like them," says Sonya Hartnett of THURSDAY'S CHILD, her brilliantly original coming-of-age story set during the Great Depression. "Harper [the young narrator] is the reason you get sucked into the characters. Even I, who like to distance myself from my characters, felt protective of her."
The acclaimed author of several award-winning young adult novels--the first written when she was just 13--Australian native Sonya Hartnett says she wrote THURSDAY'S CHILD in a mere three months. "It just pulled itself together," she says. "I'd wanted to set a story in the Depression for some time, in an isolated community that was strongly supportive. Once the dual ideas of the boy who tunneled and the young girl as narrator gelled, it almost wrote itself--I had the cast, I had the setting, I just said 'go.' " Accustomed to writing about edgy young adult characters, Sonya Hartnett says that identifying with a seven-year-old protagonist was a challenge at first. "I found her difficult to approach," she admits. "I'm not really used to children. But once I started, I found you could have fun with her: she could tell lies, she could deny the truth." Whereas most children know "only what adults want them to know," the author discovered she could bypass that limitation by "turning Harper into an eavesdropper and giving her older siblings to reveal realities."
In her second book with Candlewick Press, WHAT THE BIRDS SEE, Sonya Hartnett once again creates a portrait of childhood. This time the subject is Adrian, a nine-year-old boy living in the suburbs with his gran and Uncle. For Adrian, childhood is shaped by fear: his dread of quicksand, shopping centers, and self-combustion. Then one day, three neighborhood children vanish--an incident based on a real case in Australia in the 1960s--and Adrian comes to see just how tenuous his safety net is. In speaking about Adrian, the author provocatively reveals parallels between herself and her character. She says, "Adrian is me in many respects, and many of the things that happen to him happened to me."
Sonya Hartnett's consistently inspired writing has built her a legion of devotees. Of THURSDAY'S CHILD, Newbery Honor-winning author Carolyn Coman says, "Hartnett's beautifully rendered vision drew me in from the very start and carried me along, above and under ground, to the very end. This book amazed me." The achingly beautiful WHAT THE BIRDS SEE has just as quickly garnered critical acclaim. Notes PUBLISHERS WEEKLY in a starred review, "Hartnett again captures the ineffable fragility of childhood in this keenly observed tale. . . . Sophisticated readers will appreciate the work's acuity and poetic integrity." Sonya Hartnett's third young adult novel, STRIPES OF THE SIDESTEP WOLF was named an American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults.
Sonya Hartnett lives near Melbourne, Australia. Her most recent novels are SURRENDER, a mesmerizing psychological thriller, and THE SILVER DONKEY, a gently told fable for middle-grade readers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 249 reviews
October 25, 2022
This was an interesting sojourne, similarities to the Giver quartet and the Little Prince abound. A shortish book, beautifully written, of a woman's most interesting journey through life.
I read this as an ebook from a local library and have long wanted to read this Aussie author. I will read more of her writing.
3.5 stars rounded up because one of the most beautiful final chapters I have ever read.
I read this as an ebook from a local library and have long wanted to read this Aussie author. I will read more of her writing.
3.5 stars rounded up because one of the most beautiful final chapters I have ever read.
June 15, 2010
Permit a philosophical review, for it is a philosophical book. It is a superbly written story that immediately submerges the reader in lyrical prose. The style is perfectly suited to the poetic theme which has the echo and poignancy of an age-old fable. Style and structure gradually build the narrative and leave the reader in anticipation of some great event, of some significant and completely transforming act.
My hope was that it would glorify complete selflessness, and show the beauty of giving everything in order to be open to the gift of others. This story got only half way there. Suffering was present as the purifier of selfishness and herald of coming greatness. And there was selflessness, but it wasn’t complete. Both of the main characters managed to keep their deepest selves to themselves. I wasn’t expecting them to renounce their identity. But one can give everything without renouncing one’s identity. Ultimately it is their lack of genuine communication (which is what mutual self-giving consists of) that brings them both to sadness. They say they love, but really they refuse to love.
The story then fades away like a wave on the sand, gliding back to an unnatural peace. Unnatural because where there was once such passion, there is now only ‘contentment’ in accepting that the passion and idealism will never be satisfied. There is some truth in this, for passion and idealism are never fully satisfied. But it is not the whole truth. So many wonderful stories show that through purified passion it is possible to attain a happiness far deeper than contentment, that in giving more of oneself one can be open to receiving from others. This is very different to the lonely contentment each character is left with in this story.
All of that was to say that this is quite a depressing story, perhaps more aloof than bitter, but deeply unsatisfying.
My hope was that it would glorify complete selflessness, and show the beauty of giving everything in order to be open to the gift of others. This story got only half way there. Suffering was present as the purifier of selfishness and herald of coming greatness. And there was selflessness, but it wasn’t complete. Both of the main characters managed to keep their deepest selves to themselves. I wasn’t expecting them to renounce their identity. But one can give everything without renouncing one’s identity. Ultimately it is their lack of genuine communication (which is what mutual self-giving consists of) that brings them both to sadness. They say they love, but really they refuse to love.
The story then fades away like a wave on the sand, gliding back to an unnatural peace. Unnatural because where there was once such passion, there is now only ‘contentment’ in accepting that the passion and idealism will never be satisfied. There is some truth in this, for passion and idealism are never fully satisfied. But it is not the whole truth. So many wonderful stories show that through purified passion it is possible to attain a happiness far deeper than contentment, that in giving more of oneself one can be open to receiving from others. This is very different to the lonely contentment each character is left with in this story.
All of that was to say that this is quite a depressing story, perhaps more aloof than bitter, but deeply unsatisfying.
February 11, 2018
Edit: 7-20-16
I just have to quote this:
What is the world's most beautiful thing?
Later the young girl answers "Seagulls" Of course. Seagulls. This was the second answer since the first one she chose was "Victory."
Do you know what her father said the answer was? "Her." How sweet.
Edit: 7-22-16
Wow. Just wow. This was beautiful in a vague sort of way. It let you interpret things (I realized the beautiful way the author had written in the way that there was detail but, just enough that you could stitch many things together to make different conclusions by reading other peoples' reviews and their thoughts.) This is what made it more philosophical since you could decide, in a way, your own interpretations and see the world differently if you looked hard enough and how you viewed things in the world.
The characters were pretty good in their own ways too but, honestly when I tried to think of who they were it was pretty hard and I couldn't come up with any characteristics. I fell in love with the writing but, less with the characters.
There was Maddy, and I really enjoyed old Maddy since she had a little twinkle in her eyes from experience so every time I read about her I found myself being like the little kid, questioning and interested in her story. Younger Maddy was a little more vague but, still interesting however, I felt pity for her when all she wanted was to be happy with Feather when in reality what she wanted wasn't really feather but someone different with the same wonder and soul he had for the sea. She wanted his love and for a long time, he couldn't give the love she wanted but, she clung to the idea and for years she watched as he grew distant, well stayed distant. I felt pity and wanted her to move on or for Feather to change a little. To trust. To love. To open up. and to tell me his real name.
Feather. While many were fascinated by his views, I was also interested but, I was annoyed by some of his actions and reactions too.
Edit: 2-10-18
The writing style is much like Anna and the Swallow Man by Gavriel Savit.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
I just have to quote this:
What is the world's most beautiful thing?
Later the young girl answers "Seagulls" Of course. Seagulls. This was the second answer since the first one she chose was "Victory."
Do you know what her father said the answer was? "Her." How sweet.
Edit: 7-22-16
Wow. Just wow. This was beautiful in a vague sort of way. It let you interpret things (I realized the beautiful way the author had written in the way that there was detail but, just enough that you could stitch many things together to make different conclusions by reading other peoples' reviews and their thoughts.) This is what made it more philosophical since you could decide, in a way, your own interpretations and see the world differently if you looked hard enough and how you viewed things in the world.
The characters were pretty good in their own ways too but, honestly when I tried to think of who they were it was pretty hard and I couldn't come up with any characteristics. I fell in love with the writing but, less with the characters.
There was Maddy, and I really enjoyed old Maddy since she had a little twinkle in her eyes from experience so every time I read about her I found myself being like the little kid, questioning and interested in her story. Younger Maddy was a little more vague but, still interesting however, I felt pity for her when all she wanted was to be happy with Feather when in reality what she wanted wasn't really feather but someone different with the same wonder and soul he had for the sea. She wanted his love and for a long time, he couldn't give the love she wanted but, she clung to the idea and for years she watched as he grew distant, well stayed distant. I felt pity and wanted her to move on or for Feather to change a little. To trust. To love. To open up.
Feather. While many were fascinated by his views, I was also interested but, I was annoyed by some of his actions and reactions too.
Edit: 2-10-18
The writing style is much like Anna and the Swallow Man by Gavriel Savit.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
April 27, 2011
This was a fable :) I really liked Maddy, but with Feather I have some bones to pick. I do not get "Truth" from Feather the way Maddy did. I get isolation and omission. Maddy mentions that maybe it would have been better had she never met Feather. Personally, I'm in that camp. Maybe I'm too much of a realist. But come on! What did he bring to the table, really? He was mopey and impossible to communicate with, and dare I say it, PASSIVE AGGRESSIVE. And when she loses the Fay, what does he say? I'm sorry for YOUR loss? WHAT? Excuse me, beach boy? I think you had a hand in this fay. Maddy needed closure, and who wouldn't in that situation, so she gets it as best she can and manages to pull herself up by the bootstraps and make a meaningful life for herself. Meanwhile we can assume Feather is in a state of being on his lame stillness island, helping no one and contributing nothing. BUT I liked the book b/c it was neat and it made me think.
January 6, 2021
"They talked to one another, but never about important things - never about a lost winged dream, not about unseeable mysteries that lay beyond the setting sun. They both knew that you can talk and talk, but when the talk is done and there's nothing else to say, the thing that you long for is still not there."
Let me just...let me think for a second.
Without spoilers, here's the most basic description of this book: Madeline is an old woman who comes across a young boy in her living room. She's never seen this strange visitor before but as they settle in with tea and biscuits, she begins to tell him the story of her life.
Okay, I'll go from the beginning. At first (for the first...120 ish pages?), I did not like this book. It's a fable, yes, but I feel that's done in a strange way. 'Aesop's Fables' for example, you read a story, and immediately there's a talking crow. Okay, it's a fable. This book seemed to make it more complicated, blurring the line between fable and reality.
Things happened to Madeline over the course of her life that were fantasy and part of the fable, but it seemed like they actually happened. At the same time she describes her common upbringing with respectable, basic parents. It makes me wonder if the entire story is a fable (which is how I think it is, and should be), or if there's a strange crossover within the story that I couldn't see clearly.
Also, I felt this story had way too much similarities to 'The Little Prince' (one of my favourite books). In that book, the young boy (prince) describes his travels to a pilot. In this, the old woman describes her travels to the young boy. Both stories of adventure involve fable-like characters, loss and self-discovery. But it was mainly the feel of the whole book that I felt was eerily similar. I know this mightn't be a complaint unless I'm crying "plagiarism!" but it's something I couldn't get out of my head.
ANYWAYS, I selected the tag 'redeemed itself' for this book for a reason. Without spoilers, I really liked the ending. I had my suspicions all along, but I still had questions to go with them, which I always enjoy. If I'm able to guess the full ending of a book when I'm more than...20 pages away from it, I'm always disappointed. There was still enough emotional shock-factor in this ending to mostly redeem my complaints, which is why I'm giving this book 4🌟.
This rating might seem strange based on this topsy-turvy review, so I'll just say now. The storyline was interesting all along, I just didn't understand the purpose of it. The writing was beautiful and poetic in places. I will say that, had the book been any longer, but stayed the same in content, I would've liked it much less. I think the length of this book was perfect so that I wasn't too over-annoyed before the ending was able to chase away my previous dislike. The length of the story is perfect to keep boredom at bay while keeping the ending successful.
Piece of advice: It is well worth reading until the end. I'm so happy I didn't stop reading this book. It's short so it's really worth it
****NOT REALLY SPOILERS BUT STILL****
Last complaint: For most of the book I was confused as to the beginning: why on earth did Madeline talk to this strange intruder so easily? If I walk into my living room and see a ragged young boy, I'll scream, not boil the kettle. This was explained at the end of the book, but usually when things are left to be explained, they kind of leave a gap in the story, or reassure the reader that this will be brought back to later on. Madeline just went so incautiously with this scenario that I wasn't sure it would be explained at all.
Also I got really cute 'Forest Gump' and 'Patch Adams' vibes from one of the sections near the end of Madeline's story.
Let me just...let me think for a second.
Without spoilers, here's the most basic description of this book: Madeline is an old woman who comes across a young boy in her living room. She's never seen this strange visitor before but as they settle in with tea and biscuits, she begins to tell him the story of her life.
Okay, I'll go from the beginning. At first (for the first...120 ish pages?), I did not like this book. It's a fable, yes, but I feel that's done in a strange way. 'Aesop's Fables' for example, you read a story, and immediately there's a talking crow. Okay, it's a fable. This book seemed to make it more complicated, blurring the line between fable and reality.
Things happened to Madeline over the course of her life that were fantasy and part of the fable, but it seemed like they actually happened. At the same time she describes her common upbringing with respectable, basic parents. It makes me wonder if the entire story is a fable (which is how I think it is, and should be), or if there's a strange crossover within the story that I couldn't see clearly.
Also, I felt this story had way too much similarities to 'The Little Prince' (one of my favourite books). In that book, the young boy (prince) describes his travels to a pilot. In this, the old woman describes her travels to the young boy. Both stories of adventure involve fable-like characters, loss and self-discovery. But it was mainly the feel of the whole book that I felt was eerily similar. I know this mightn't be a complaint unless I'm crying "plagiarism!" but it's something I couldn't get out of my head.
ANYWAYS, I selected the tag 'redeemed itself' for this book for a reason. Without spoilers, I really liked the ending. I had my suspicions all along, but I still had questions to go with them, which I always enjoy. If I'm able to guess the full ending of a book when I'm more than...20 pages away from it, I'm always disappointed. There was still enough emotional shock-factor in this ending to mostly redeem my complaints, which is why I'm giving this book 4🌟.
This rating might seem strange based on this topsy-turvy review, so I'll just say now. The storyline was interesting all along, I just didn't understand the purpose of it. The writing was beautiful and poetic in places. I will say that, had the book been any longer, but stayed the same in content, I would've liked it much less. I think the length of this book was perfect so that I wasn't too over-annoyed before the ending was able to chase away my previous dislike. The length of the story is perfect to keep boredom at bay while keeping the ending successful.
Piece of advice: It is well worth reading until the end. I'm so happy I didn't stop reading this book. It's short so it's really worth it
****NOT REALLY SPOILERS BUT STILL****
Last complaint: For most of the book I was confused as to the beginning: why on earth did Madeline talk to this strange intruder so easily? If I walk into my living room and see a ragged young boy, I'll scream, not boil the kettle. This was explained at the end of the book, but usually when things are left to be explained, they kind of leave a gap in the story, or reassure the reader that this will be brought back to later on. Madeline just went so incautiously with this scenario that I wasn't sure it would be explained at all.
Also I got really cute 'Forest Gump' and 'Patch Adams' vibes from one of the sections near the end of Madeline's story.
October 21, 2012
I'm reading this for Contemporary Children's Lit and according to my Prof, this is "simply divine and unlike anything you have ever read." It sounds exquisitely painful.
For a novel its length, A Ghost’s Child is surprisingly heavy where the themes are concerned. The book deals with self-discovery in a multitude of ways. Before the story of Maddy and Feather even begins, Maddy sets off on a journey of self-discovery with her father. Maddy and her father travel around the world together, seeing wondrous things, places and people. Maddy discovers facets of herself in everything she sees.
Another moment for self-discovery is when Maddy realizes she has a question to ask Feather so sets off on a sea journey helming her own boat to find Feather and ask him that question. When she finally finds him on his island and asks the question she wanted to ask, she makes another realization about her own self: she is not prepared to be stagnant in a world that is always moving. Her ability to pick up the pieces of her life and live without Feather shows her discovery that she is more than a broken heart and that she can still live no matter how much she has been hurt.
Another theme in this book is loss. Not loss caused by death but loss cause by intentionally letting go of a person, a dream or an idea and finding the strength to continue life without these things. Maddy loses her adventurous fun-loving father to the rigors of daily life when they return from their journey around the world. She chooses to let go of Feather twice because she has realized that she cannot accept his philosophies and adopt them for her own. She has to let go of her house in the woods and the dreams with which she built it.
Death is another prevalent theme. Maddy loses her parents and her grief is present throughout the narrative but it is an accepting pain unlike the loss of her baby due to miscarriage which causes Maddy a whole different kind of anguish. However, as much as death is a theme, so is life and living. The book is , if you’ll pardon the floweriness, a celebration of life and living. Maddy makes a choice when she leaves Feather on his never-changing island. She chooses to live and she does so, wholly and fully. She lives to the old age at which we find her and relates the story of her life, the good, the bad and the painful. And that is what makes the book beautiful.
If I had to attach a literary term for the style the book is written in, I’d say the author makes use of magical realism. Wikipedia defines the term as an aesthetic style or genre of fiction in which magical elements blend with the real world. Maddy has a nargun for a friend (consult handout for information about it) whom she consults on everything from her parents to her love life. Maddy also goes on a crazy journey on a boat and converses with sea animals and birds. She is also part of the audience watching an organized fight between a kraken and a leviathan. She talks to a wind called Zephyrus who helps her get to Feather’s island. Most magical of all, perhaps, is the young boy who sits in Maddy’s very ordinary living room and listens to her story.
The prose itself is incredibly detailed but deceptively simple in its diction. There is careful attention given to colours and the way things are described so they become easier to visualize. This novel is definitely a cross-over novel that will appeal to both adults and children. However, I do believe that this one book that librarians will need to recommend to get kids to pick up. I can see it being very popular if its read out to kids because as I said, the writing is simple but exquisite and the plot is also full of adventure. However the fact remains that the protagonist at the time we meet her is an old woman. There is an instance in the novel when the boy tells Maddy, as though he is delivering very bad news, “your house smells like old people.” Most kids like reading books with protagonists they can relate to.
There is a duality to this novel that I appreciated. An adult reading the novel will have a different take on it than a child. For example, the author never explicitly states that Maddy miscarries or the baby dies. The baby is always called the fay. And it’s abstract enough in the way it is mentioned that a child would probably not realize the fay is a baby but an adult would.
The book feels Australian in its regard for the sea. We are somehow always in or around the sea whether at a beach or on a boat or on an island. There is also the mention of tea and biscuits which is what we call cookies on that side of the world.
In conclusion, the book is beautiful. It’s eerie, poignant and lingering. Please read it.
For a novel its length, A Ghost’s Child is surprisingly heavy where the themes are concerned. The book deals with self-discovery in a multitude of ways. Before the story of Maddy and Feather even begins, Maddy sets off on a journey of self-discovery with her father. Maddy and her father travel around the world together, seeing wondrous things, places and people. Maddy discovers facets of herself in everything she sees.
Another moment for self-discovery is when Maddy realizes she has a question to ask Feather so sets off on a sea journey helming her own boat to find Feather and ask him that question. When she finally finds him on his island and asks the question she wanted to ask, she makes another realization about her own self: she is not prepared to be stagnant in a world that is always moving. Her ability to pick up the pieces of her life and live without Feather shows her discovery that she is more than a broken heart and that she can still live no matter how much she has been hurt.
Another theme in this book is loss. Not loss caused by death but loss cause by intentionally letting go of a person, a dream or an idea and finding the strength to continue life without these things. Maddy loses her adventurous fun-loving father to the rigors of daily life when they return from their journey around the world. She chooses to let go of Feather twice because she has realized that she cannot accept his philosophies and adopt them for her own. She has to let go of her house in the woods and the dreams with which she built it.
Death is another prevalent theme. Maddy loses her parents and her grief is present throughout the narrative but it is an accepting pain unlike the loss of her baby due to miscarriage which causes Maddy a whole different kind of anguish. However, as much as death is a theme, so is life and living. The book is , if you’ll pardon the floweriness, a celebration of life and living. Maddy makes a choice when she leaves Feather on his never-changing island. She chooses to live and she does so, wholly and fully. She lives to the old age at which we find her and relates the story of her life, the good, the bad and the painful. And that is what makes the book beautiful.
If I had to attach a literary term for the style the book is written in, I’d say the author makes use of magical realism. Wikipedia defines the term as an aesthetic style or genre of fiction in which magical elements blend with the real world. Maddy has a nargun for a friend (consult handout for information about it) whom she consults on everything from her parents to her love life. Maddy also goes on a crazy journey on a boat and converses with sea animals and birds. She is also part of the audience watching an organized fight between a kraken and a leviathan. She talks to a wind called Zephyrus who helps her get to Feather’s island. Most magical of all, perhaps, is the young boy who sits in Maddy’s very ordinary living room and listens to her story.
The prose itself is incredibly detailed but deceptively simple in its diction. There is careful attention given to colours and the way things are described so they become easier to visualize. This novel is definitely a cross-over novel that will appeal to both adults and children. However, I do believe that this one book that librarians will need to recommend to get kids to pick up. I can see it being very popular if its read out to kids because as I said, the writing is simple but exquisite and the plot is also full of adventure. However the fact remains that the protagonist at the time we meet her is an old woman. There is an instance in the novel when the boy tells Maddy, as though he is delivering very bad news, “your house smells like old people.” Most kids like reading books with protagonists they can relate to.
There is a duality to this novel that I appreciated. An adult reading the novel will have a different take on it than a child. For example, the author never explicitly states that Maddy miscarries or the baby dies. The baby is always called the fay. And it’s abstract enough in the way it is mentioned that a child would probably not realize the fay is a baby but an adult would.
The book feels Australian in its regard for the sea. We are somehow always in or around the sea whether at a beach or on a boat or on an island. There is also the mention of tea and biscuits which is what we call cookies on that side of the world.
In conclusion, the book is beautiful. It’s eerie, poignant and lingering. Please read it.
March 30, 2019
Īsi un kodolīgi: Austrāliešu Paulu Koelju.
January 4, 2017
Yes, this can be read through the lens of a YA romance. But it's also a fable for adults of all ages. It can also be read as a fantasy quest adventure. Choose it to fit one of your reading group challenges. Or read it because of the intriguing title or the beautiful cover art. But read it. If you've been wondering which Hartnett to read first, and don't want to start with a children's book like Sadie and Ratz, or a longer historical fantasy like The Children of the King, start here.
"After a few weeks, I stopped thinking about anything--it's easily done. If the only things you have to think about are things that hurt you, your mind has mercy, and builds a white box, and lets you hide inside."
"After a few weeks, I stopped thinking about anything--it's easily done. If the only things you have to think about are things that hurt you, your mind has mercy, and builds a white box, and lets you hide inside."
July 7, 2020
I’d only read one of Sonya Hartnett’s books previously, Stripes of the Side-Step Wolf, which is a young adult novel I read in high school. I was curious to read more and with my track record with book covers to go by there was no way I could go past this one given it's lovely illustrations.
I’m so pleased to say the book lived up to its gorgeous cover by being an eerily beautiful story. I love how Sonya Hartnett turns the Australian bush and beach into a fairytale setting - unique and strange but no less magical than those forests of European fables. And I love that the story and the characters are somewhere between the real world and fantasy. I think The Ghost's Child is such a charming little story, sad but happy and with a lovely ending.
‘It is one thing to converse with aquatic life, but another to address a wind’
I’m so pleased to say the book lived up to its gorgeous cover by being an eerily beautiful story. I love how Sonya Hartnett turns the Australian bush and beach into a fairytale setting - unique and strange but no less magical than those forests of European fables. And I love that the story and the characters are somewhere between the real world and fantasy. I think The Ghost's Child is such a charming little story, sad but happy and with a lovely ending.
‘It is one thing to converse with aquatic life, but another to address a wind’
April 28, 2024
Soņas Hartnetas "Rēgu bērns" ir grāmata, kura jau kopš pamatskolas pabeigšanas man asociējās ar to, ka pēc tās izlasīšanas (kā izrādās tālajā 2010. gadā iekš Bērnu žūrijas) ļoti ilgi saucu par savu mīļāko grāmatu.
Toreiz mācījos 7. klasē. Un tagad mani jau labu laiku nepameta doma, ka vajadzētu šo grāmatu pārlasīt.
Stāsts ir par Mediju, kura vecumdienās atceras savu dzīvi, sākot no skolas laikiem. Un viņa vēlas izstāstīt savu stāstu par skaistuma meklējumiem, smagajiem dzīves līkločiem un pirmo mīlestību.
Lasot grāmatu tagad, protams, prāts uz visu skatās meklējot loģiku un pamanot naivumu. Taču toreiz tas viss palika nepamanīts. Apbūra autores tēlainā valoda un skaistie dabas apraksti.
Lai gan šobrīd pārlasot grāmatu tā vairs netaisīja tik spēcīgas emocijas, es ļoti labi saskatīju, kāpēc tā man tik ļoti patika toreiz. Un sirdī šī grāmata paliks ar sajūtām, kuras pārņēma lasot to pirmo reizi.
Toreiz mācījos 7. klasē. Un tagad mani jau labu laiku nepameta doma, ka vajadzētu šo grāmatu pārlasīt.
Stāsts ir par Mediju, kura vecumdienās atceras savu dzīvi, sākot no skolas laikiem. Un viņa vēlas izstāstīt savu stāstu par skaistuma meklējumiem, smagajiem dzīves līkločiem un pirmo mīlestību.
Lasot grāmatu tagad, protams, prāts uz visu skatās meklējot loģiku un pamanot naivumu. Taču toreiz tas viss palika nepamanīts. Apbūra autores tēlainā valoda un skaistie dabas apraksti.
Lai gan šobrīd pārlasot grāmatu tā vairs netaisīja tik spēcīgas emocijas, es ļoti labi saskatīju, kāpēc tā man tik ļoti patika toreiz. Un sirdī šī grāmata paliks ar sajūtām, kuras pārņēma lasot to pirmo reizi.
April 27, 2017
Why does Sonya Hartnett write so well, HOW does she write so well? I love everything she writes; they are not conventionally children literature, and they are not exactly adult either. Almost like fairy tales. This one certainly WAS a fairy tale.
April 22, 2008
I am not generally a big fan of Sonya Hartnett. It's not that I don't appreciate the skill of her writing, I just never feel emotionally connected to her books. (Apart from "Forest", which was about cats, not people. I think I have a problem with her oft-times misanthropic take on humanity.)
Anyway, I didn't expect to care for "The Ghost's Child" any better than I had (most of) her other novels, and it's true that when I started the book, I felt quite disconnected, as much as I—yes—admired the writing.
But then it began to get under my skin and into my heart. I really began to care about the old woman's story, to feel involved, and by the end of it I was totally won over.
My main quibble? Audience. It has, predictably, been shortlisted for the older readers category of the Children's Book Council of Australia awards, but I am not sure how YA readers would really respond to it. It seems to me to be concerned with very mature, adult, retrospective considerations of life and love.
But I'm glad Hartnett has broken her run with me. I was beginning to feel like the sulky girl in the corner at the party.
Anyway, I didn't expect to care for "The Ghost's Child" any better than I had (most of) her other novels, and it's true that when I started the book, I felt quite disconnected, as much as I—yes—admired the writing.
But then it began to get under my skin and into my heart. I really began to care about the old woman's story, to feel involved, and by the end of it I was totally won over.
My main quibble? Audience. It has, predictably, been shortlisted for the older readers category of the Children's Book Council of Australia awards, but I am not sure how YA readers would really respond to it. It seems to me to be concerned with very mature, adult, retrospective considerations of life and love.
But I'm glad Hartnett has broken her run with me. I was beginning to feel like the sulky girl in the corner at the party.
November 13, 2019
Oh. My. Word.
This book. It was brilliant. Evocative writing, vivid imagery, and a lyrical narrative. This read like a cross between Storm Boy and a fairy tale. The emotion was real, the story true and the delivery strong.
A perfect story. Loved the Australian references, the historical thread and touches of magical realism.
I’m giving this one a perfect 5 Stars for the beautiful writing and story. Highly recommended for those who don’t need a ‘happily ever after’.
This book. It was brilliant. Evocative writing, vivid imagery, and a lyrical narrative. This read like a cross between Storm Boy and a fairy tale. The emotion was real, the story true and the delivery strong.
A perfect story. Loved the Australian references, the historical thread and touches of magical realism.
I’m giving this one a perfect 5 Stars for the beautiful writing and story. Highly recommended for those who don’t need a ‘happily ever after’.
October 18, 2020
Po kelių pastarųjų sukeliančių neigiamus jausmus knygų, ši buvo atgaiva sielai. Rami, poetiška, mistiška, gal net vietomis primenanti pasaką. Apie meilę, praradimus, skausmą, santykius su tėvais, drąsą, ištikimybę sau ir daug dar visko sutalpinta į šią mažytę knygą. Paliko lengvumo ir gerumo pojūtį.
February 20, 2011
Dear Sonya Hartnett,
I love your books and can't wait to read more.
Love,
me
I love your books and can't wait to read more.
Love,
me
July 12, 2019
Wow, I picked up this book from my bookshelf not remembering when I acquired it and the book jacket missing so I had no idea what to expect. Finishing it now, this has been one of the best reads I've had in a long time, its so poetic and haunting throughout, drawing upon subtle and sentimental emotions that bring you to tears early on. The way Hartnett writes is just so lovely, I just felt so much reading this book. With the ending (no spoilers) being the most beautifully heartbreaking and wonderful finish to this incredible book.
November 12, 2008
Matilda, an old woman, enters her sitting room to find a mysterious young boy waiting there for her. His smoky colored eyes are familiar and though he has surprised her with his arrival, the two share tea and conversation for an afternoon.
Maddy's life unfolds in a lyrical recollection told to the young boy, swinging from scenes in the present in her sitting room back to the distant past when she was girl and first fell in love.
This is a gorgeous story that reads like a dreamy fairy-tale, a fevered fancy half glimpsed. It settles into your mind and heart and lingers there, soft and compelling. Filled with beautiful description, whimsy and an underpinning of mystery, this is a quick read that is at once light and airy and deep and thought provoking. At times you have to wonder what is real and what is made up in Maddy's mind. Was she crazy or one of those people who walks on the edge of life and world, seeing the impossible? In the end it doesn't really matter because the basic story is heartfelt and bittersweet. It will stay with you long after you close the last page.
Maddy's life unfolds in a lyrical recollection told to the young boy, swinging from scenes in the present in her sitting room back to the distant past when she was girl and first fell in love.
This is a gorgeous story that reads like a dreamy fairy-tale, a fevered fancy half glimpsed. It settles into your mind and heart and lingers there, soft and compelling. Filled with beautiful description, whimsy and an underpinning of mystery, this is a quick read that is at once light and airy and deep and thought provoking. At times you have to wonder what is real and what is made up in Maddy's mind. Was she crazy or one of those people who walks on the edge of life and world, seeing the impossible? In the end it doesn't really matter because the basic story is heartfelt and bittersweet. It will stay with you long after you close the last page.
March 27, 2009
Gorgeously written and managing to be at the same time both warmly human and puzzlingly mythical, this book is not easy to categorize. It will probably be of most interest to older teens and adults, as the main character is an old woman named Maddy looking back at events - and a relationship - that happened to her as a teen and young woman.
There are fairy-tale elements (Maddy's young man, whom she calls Feather, is an otherworldly sort of person) and moments when (as during the fight between the Kraken and the Leviathan, which all sorts of talking sea creatures gather to watch) I was reminded very much of Alice in Wonderland.
The whole premise, as one discovers at the end, is built on a magical or mystical idea - and yet this is also a very down-to-earth tale in some ways. Maddy is a solid if solitary girl, whether traveling around the world with her father, falling in love with Feather, or sailing alone through enchanted waters - and the lovely simplicity of the narrative voice reflects that.
Highly recommended for the exquisite writing - and the poignant ending.
There are fairy-tale elements (Maddy's young man, whom she calls Feather, is an otherworldly sort of person) and moments when (as during the fight between the Kraken and the Leviathan, which all sorts of talking sea creatures gather to watch) I was reminded very much of Alice in Wonderland.
The whole premise, as one discovers at the end, is built on a magical or mystical idea - and yet this is also a very down-to-earth tale in some ways. Maddy is a solid if solitary girl, whether traveling around the world with her father, falling in love with Feather, or sailing alone through enchanted waters - and the lovely simplicity of the narrative voice reflects that.
Highly recommended for the exquisite writing - and the poignant ending.
June 24, 2009
I am quite ambivalent about this book. On the one hand it was lovely seeing Sonya Hartnett put her beautiful sentences in such a, well, nice book. But it didn't quite feel entirely authentic, maybe because I am so used to her bleakness (I find her bleak novels devastatingly beautiful as well). The true strength of this novel is how true its core is: it is a fantastic novel about what first love feels like, about how utterly consuming love can be, and yet how learning to live without love, whilst still nursing a particular sorrow, can be a pleasure in itself. It was extremely emotionally astute. And yet I found many of the surface elements a little grating, even twee. Having said that, I taught this to a class of twenty year olds and few of them had the same issue - I think this is truly a book for the young, perhaps not for teenagers, but for the very early twenty somethings, just on the other side of their first painful break up.
August 30, 2010
This was a very odd tale from the start. I began to question the book description after the first half of the book. I then fell into the actual tale, though it was a bit confusing and hard to follow. Matty is a very interesting character, but I did not feel as though I true knew her character in the story. It was just that, a story that I followed her throughout her journey. While this does not turn me away from the story I did not feel the emotion and heartfelt story that I believe this author had intended. I find the angel child to be a very unique turn to this story, and I think that this does restore the story in many ways. As a devoted reader I do not mind books with large vocabulary, but the word selection in this book did not feel like it necessary fit with the type of story that the author was trying to tell. I find the ending to be very intriguing and a wonderful fit to close. Even with some negative feelings toward the story I feel that this was a journey in reading.
January 11, 2018
3.5 stars. Firstly, this is not rated based on the writing itself - which is in fact, quite amazing. This rating is a reflection of the story itself which I just found a little lacklustre. There were parts that were really interesting, but then other parts were a bit slow. Maybe it’s just not the type of thing I particularly enjoy, in which case it’s my own fault. I will be reading more by this author, because I think her writing style is great.
June 25, 2008
What does it mean to love someone very deeply, and then lose that love? And what does it mean to love someone deeply, but still yearn for something more? Once again, Harnett illuminates the hidden places of the human heart with truth and beauty.
May 11, 2015
Wonderful!
May 6, 2016
This was just beautiful.
Like yeah,characters were nice,plot was really interesting,but what really stood out to me was a writing style.LIKE SONYA WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH YOUR WORDS WOMAN
Like yeah,characters were nice,plot was really interesting,but what really stood out to me was a writing style.LIKE SONYA WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH YOUR WORDS WOMAN
October 9, 2020
I first encountered this book back in 2007 when there was an ARC floating around the library and read it because it had a pretty cover. It was...odd. And it made me very uncomfortable. I fiercely related to Maddy, the shy and socially awkward young woman who seemed happier in her own little bubble than anywhere else. And I hated Feather for leading her on and then ditching her when she needed him most (I thought he was totally selfish). At the time, I had been with my then-boyfriend/now-husband for a short while, we were in the Honeymoon phase of dating, and I was starry-eyed with hopes of eventual wedding bells. So I wanted my Happily Ever After ending from this story, damnit! And for the book to not deliver that, after everything Maddy did to give Feather what she felt was a happy life and then everything she went through to track him down and make him see he was wrong for leaving... It seemed inconceivable to me that he didn't return with her! I mean, why shouldn't Maddy get her Happily Ever After? Why couldn't Feather just settle down and be the Good Husband of her dreams? What the fuck was wrong with him? The book betrayed me. Was I worried about my own future here? Was there something here I didn't want to see? Not Sure. But at the time the book made me so angry I only gave it one star.
Almost 10 years later, in 2016, I encountered the book again whilst following something else down a Goodreads Rabbit Hole (you know how that goes). I only sort of recalled it. Not so much the details of the story, but the gorgeous and haunting atmosphere of it all. So I re-read it. And my outlook was completely different. I still liked Maddy (she reminded me of a younger version of myself), but my reaction to the story fell into a much more grey area. I saw now that the two young lovers were, basically, forced into a situation that ended up making them both unhappy: Maddy was forced by her parents to settle down and become the proper grown up, and Feather was forced into a relationship he wasn't ready or mature enough for. And, to be honest, didn't even want in the first place. I mean, some people are never wanting the whole domestic thing. The result was neither got what they wanted. So neither was really and truly happy. They just reacted differently: Maddy by pushing harder and Feather by retreating. Not the healthiest reactions, but believable. Still not Happy Ever After, but the story didn't make me so angry anymore. I felt more sympathy toward both characters than anything else. I upped my re-read rating to three stars
The THIRD time I read this book was now, in 2020. And this time I loved it. Absolutely LOVED it. Maddy still reminded me of a younger, idealistic version of myself. One who wanted so badly to have the sort of acceptable life her parents and society in general thought she should have. And because society thought she should have it, she herself believed she should have it. I looked upon her with a kind of fond nostalgia, but found I didn't really relate to her anymore. In fact, I realized that I relate more to Feather now than ever before. This was unexpected, but very, very refreshing. Both Maddy and Feather learned some hard life lessons. But in the end, I feel they both got what they really wanted. Or, at least, what they really needed. They each needed to learn to be True To Themselves, even if doing so meant they wouldn't be together. And that's ok. Better than OK. Because in order to be happy, you have to be true to yourself. True Happiness comes from within, and one can only be truly happy if they are living the sort of life they are meant to live...even if it isn't really the sort of life friends, family, partners, society, etc. agrees with. The ending wasn't the Fairy Tale Happily Ever After I originally wanted. It was better. It was both Maddy and Feather leading a Happy Life...whatever a Happy Life meant to each of them, individually. I changed my rating to Five Stars and am grateful to have rediscovered this story when I did. I needed it.
And that's life, really. Sometimes circumstances try to force us into situations we aren't ready for and don't even really want. It doesn't just have to be relationships. It can be something else. Something in our personal life. Something in our professional life. Sometimes we chase dreams and goals that don't happen, no matter how badly we want them or how much we feel we deserve them (or even however much we think we want them). There isn't always that happy ending we originally hope for. It's how we react to these situations that really matters. Do we cave to peer pressure, conform, and end up miserable? Do we stay true to ourselves and disappoint others in the process? Is there even a happy medium?
And sometimes we discover we're better off NOT having achieved that goal/dream. When Maddy finds Feather alone on his island, she finally sees the situation for what it is and realizes she wants something else out of life than she originally thought. She wants adventure. She wants to rediscover herself, which she saw small glimpses of when she took the journey with her father, and to be herself. This she could never have if she stayed with Feather. So she makes the hard choice to move on and leave Feather behind so she can find what does make her truly happy...and so Feather can be happy as well. It may not be the happily-ever-after domestic life she saw for herself when she first fell in love with the idea of Feather (or what she felt Feather should be), but it is a happy life. Unexpected, but happy. And this is something she only fully realizes in recounting her life to the mysterious Boy. So I see it actually IS a happy ending after all. For everyone.
What I Got From This Story:
* You can't always get what you (think you) want, but if you try sometimes you just might find you get what you need.
* The only way to live a happy life: Be True To Yourself. And being True To Yourself is the "Most Beautiful Thing"
Almost 10 years later, in 2016, I encountered the book again whilst following something else down a Goodreads Rabbit Hole (you know how that goes). I only sort of recalled it. Not so much the details of the story, but the gorgeous and haunting atmosphere of it all. So I re-read it. And my outlook was completely different. I still liked Maddy (she reminded me of a younger version of myself), but my reaction to the story fell into a much more grey area. I saw now that the two young lovers were, basically, forced into a situation that ended up making them both unhappy: Maddy was forced by her parents to settle down and become the proper grown up, and Feather was forced into a relationship he wasn't ready or mature enough for. And, to be honest, didn't even want in the first place. I mean, some people are never wanting the whole domestic thing. The result was neither got what they wanted. So neither was really and truly happy. They just reacted differently: Maddy by pushing harder and Feather by retreating. Not the healthiest reactions, but believable. Still not Happy Ever After, but the story didn't make me so angry anymore. I felt more sympathy toward both characters than anything else. I upped my re-read rating to three stars
The THIRD time I read this book was now, in 2020. And this time I loved it. Absolutely LOVED it. Maddy still reminded me of a younger, idealistic version of myself. One who wanted so badly to have the sort of acceptable life her parents and society in general thought she should have. And because society thought she should have it, she herself believed she should have it. I looked upon her with a kind of fond nostalgia, but found I didn't really relate to her anymore. In fact, I realized that I relate more to Feather now than ever before. This was unexpected, but very, very refreshing. Both Maddy and Feather learned some hard life lessons. But in the end, I feel they both got what they really wanted. Or, at least, what they really needed. They each needed to learn to be True To Themselves, even if doing so meant they wouldn't be together. And that's ok. Better than OK. Because in order to be happy, you have to be true to yourself. True Happiness comes from within, and one can only be truly happy if they are living the sort of life they are meant to live...even if it isn't really the sort of life friends, family, partners, society, etc. agrees with. The ending wasn't the Fairy Tale Happily Ever After I originally wanted. It was better. It was both Maddy and Feather leading a Happy Life...whatever a Happy Life meant to each of them, individually. I changed my rating to Five Stars and am grateful to have rediscovered this story when I did. I needed it.
And that's life, really. Sometimes circumstances try to force us into situations we aren't ready for and don't even really want. It doesn't just have to be relationships. It can be something else. Something in our personal life. Something in our professional life. Sometimes we chase dreams and goals that don't happen, no matter how badly we want them or how much we feel we deserve them (or even however much we think we want them). There isn't always that happy ending we originally hope for. It's how we react to these situations that really matters. Do we cave to peer pressure, conform, and end up miserable? Do we stay true to ourselves and disappoint others in the process? Is there even a happy medium?
And sometimes we discover we're better off NOT having achieved that goal/dream. When Maddy finds Feather alone on his island, she finally sees the situation for what it is and realizes she wants something else out of life than she originally thought. She wants adventure. She wants to rediscover herself, which she saw small glimpses of when she took the journey with her father, and to be herself. This she could never have if she stayed with Feather. So she makes the hard choice to move on and leave Feather behind so she can find what does make her truly happy...and so Feather can be happy as well. It may not be the happily-ever-after domestic life she saw for herself when she first fell in love with the idea of Feather (or what she felt Feather should be), but it is a happy life. Unexpected, but happy. And this is something she only fully realizes in recounting her life to the mysterious Boy. So I see it actually IS a happy ending after all. For everyone.
What I Got From This Story:
* You can't always get what you (think you) want, but if you try sometimes you just might find you get what you need.
* The only way to live a happy life: Be True To Yourself. And being True To Yourself is the "Most Beautiful Thing"
August 11, 2019
An odd fable of love, acceptance and forgiveness that had me scratching my head. I kept wondering who its target audience was. At the beginning I thought it was going to be a children's story, but as it progressed I realised it was probably better suited for the YA crowd or adult readers.
Like all fairy tales, it hints at some life lessons, however their delivery felt awkward and confusing to me. What was the message that the author was trying to get across?
The author employs very evocative language and a dreamy-like narration, it reminded me of Catherynne M. Valente writing style. Unfortunately, this novel wasn’t my cup of tea, too far fetched and bizarre for my liking, but if you liked The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making you might enjoy this one.
1.5 stars
Like all fairy tales, it hints at some life lessons, however their delivery felt awkward and confusing to me. What was the message that the author was trying to get across?
The author employs very evocative language and a dreamy-like narration, it reminded me of Catherynne M. Valente writing style. Unfortunately, this novel wasn’t my cup of tea, too far fetched and bizarre for my liking, but if you liked The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making you might enjoy this one.
1.5 stars
December 21, 2023
Este libro narra la vida de Maddy, quien recibe un visitante inesperadamente esperado que escucha sus historias de vida, en estas historias vemos a la protagonista crecer, equivocarse, amar, dejar de amar, aprender a vivir basicamente. Es una chica aventurera, con hambre de ver el mundo y conocer cosas hermosas, con un padre con dos facetas, una de hierro y una de aventura como la de ella, también una madre con quien nunca pudo terminar de conectar, que siempre le pedía mas de lo que Maddy podía ser.
Al final Maddy siempre vivió con sus propias reglas, y vivió de verdad. Acompañar esta historia como si fuera ese visitante recorriendo cada momento clave de su vida y aprendiendo con ella fue un viaje en sí mismo, realmente inspirador. Su manera de ver la vida y aceptar los aprendizajes que esta le ponía en frente, nunca dejó que esto la derrumbe. No siempre fue feliz, pero hasta la mas profundas de las tritezas la vivió completa.
Es un libro que diría hay que leer al menos una vez en la vida, y muchos años despues para comparar que más se puede aprender de la vida y viajes de Maddy, ahora sé que no hay que dejar nada para despues y hay que vivir la vida a nuestra propia manera, no por lo que nos digan los demás.
Al final Maddy siempre vivió con sus propias reglas, y vivió de verdad. Acompañar esta historia como si fuera ese visitante recorriendo cada momento clave de su vida y aprendiendo con ella fue un viaje en sí mismo, realmente inspirador. Su manera de ver la vida y aceptar los aprendizajes que esta le ponía en frente, nunca dejó que esto la derrumbe. No siempre fue feliz, pero hasta la mas profundas de las tritezas la vivió completa.
Es un libro que diría hay que leer al menos una vez en la vida, y muchos años despues para comparar que más se puede aprender de la vida y viajes de Maddy, ahora sé que no hay que dejar nada para despues y hay que vivir la vida a nuestra propia manera, no por lo que nos digan los demás.
March 7, 2022
This was a bit like that Paolo Coelho book that so many people ranted about and I was left feeling "meh" except this is not misogynistic like that was. It's a deep, reflective book about the meaning of life although it glosses over a few things (including a pretty sanitised ending) it does manage to look at things like difference and incompatibility. Feather did not want to live in Maddy's workl but she also didn't want to live in his. The stages of grief are traversed and then she finds meaning elsewhere.
For me this sort of writing is not something I really value, it's a bit fanciful but I think there are many people who would appreciate it more than I did. I did not however think including a character from Aboriginal folklore in that disrespectful and domesticated was was particulalry appropriate.
For me this sort of writing is not something I really value, it's a bit fanciful but I think there are many people who would appreciate it more than I did. I did not however think including a character from Aboriginal folklore in that disrespectful and domesticated was was particulalry appropriate.
March 31, 2023
Kaip ir virselis, tai pats vaibas panasus. Knygos pradzioje lb jaukus toks pavasarelio gaivaus ir drėgno misko kvapeliu padvelkia poto eina i realaus gyvenimo pasakojima tada juras marias pasaulily keliones ir t.t. daug lb vaizdingu palyginimu kad net per daug. Ir filosofiska, ir nuotykiu, ir ciut meiles, gyvenimo, fantazijos. BET biski sunkiai poto skaitesi ir viskas biski nesupranti ar mitiska ar istikruju ir tas nervint pradejo ir kilo klausimas kodel kai kurie dalykai ivykiai ar pan parasyti butent taip kaip parsyti nzn, uztat lb gerai kad knygos gale buvo toks epilogas kur paanalizavo tuos veikėjus ir visus veksnius ir sustate biski mintis apie knyga so yeh Aj dar buvo gan liudna ir depresyvu vienam epizode taip slogu ir beviltiska bet is tos klampaties islipom
June 8, 2019
Such a sweet book!
The reflections of a life well lived. Quaint, and one that makes me think of my grandparents. Makes me want to jump on a boat and run away!
I listened to the audiobook and it went by so quickly. Some parts went on a bit long, but for the most part it flowed nicely.
Would recommend to anyone who likes books with philosophical ponderings and old ladies with stories to tell. Plus points for being set in Australia - it’s always lovely reading a book in a setting you’re familiar with.
The reflections of a life well lived. Quaint, and one that makes me think of my grandparents. Makes me want to jump on a boat and run away!
I listened to the audiobook and it went by so quickly. Some parts went on a bit long, but for the most part it flowed nicely.
Would recommend to anyone who likes books with philosophical ponderings and old ladies with stories to tell. Plus points for being set in Australia - it’s always lovely reading a book in a setting you’re familiar with.
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