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Drovers Road #1
Drovers Road
Gabrielle Allan (called Gay) is living contentedly on Drovers Road, her Uncle Dunsany’s sheep station in the hill country a hundred miles from Gisborne. Besides her young, bachelor uncle there are her three orphaned cousins—Eve, Hugh and Merry—and their Great-Aunt Belle. Taken in by Dunsany years before, after her parents’ divorce, Gay now scarcely remembers any other life. There are lessons at the local school, taught by pretty, sensible Susan Leigh, regular chores, plenty of riding and jumping, pranks with Merry, unlikely pets—and abundant potential for unexpected adventures. Then, everything starts to change. With boarding school suddenly looming on the horizon, Gay and Merry—besides hating the idea—also begin to realize the expense they are to their uncle. Are they the burden standing in the way of Uncle Dunsany’s marriage? Additional unsettling possibilities are added when Gay learns that her father is returning to New Zealand after an absence of many years. Will this mean leaving Drovers Road forever? In a story filled with unforgettable characters (human and otherwise), horse shows and hunts, careless actions and scary consequences, happy (and not-so-happy) romances, young Gabrielle learns something about love and trust through the shared ups and downs of a very human, but also very caring family and extended community.
186 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1953
About the author
Joyce West
22 books6 followersJoyce West died in the Tauranga Hospital on February 21, 1985, in her 76th year, after a gallant fight against cancer.
Over four decades her reputation as a writer of teenage adventure books became world wide. Not even Margaret Mahy, following in her footsteps, has had television rights secured by Walt Disney Productions for one hour of television. Joyce West achieved this with her 1970 publication of 'The Sea Islanders', which was also a five-part serial on the BBC. It was a Foyle's Book Club book. There was an American edition by Roy Publishers, and Scholastic Magazines (a world-wide organisation) brought out a special paperback edition for schools in America. The book was translated into German and Danish. The then publishing firm of Blackwood & Paul (New Zealand) did a reprint, the first time a New Zealand publisher had shown interest in her writings.
In 1979 J.M. Dent & Sons Ltd., publishers of all her books through Charles E. Tuttle of Tokyo, and the Japanese publishing firm of Akana Sholes, brought out a Japanese translation of 'The Sea Islands', beautifully illustrated. Joyce West's first book published by Dent in 1953, after 13 publishers, chiefly in her own country had turned her manuscript down, was 'Drover's Road'. It was written out of a series of articles for the now defunct Australian Journal. It had a good press in England, and elsewhere. It went into reprint the same year of publication, and yet again in 1958. In 1963 there was a Pennant publication in what would be a Penguin series today, with the one exception Pennant books were case bound, they were not paperbacks. In between, Joyce West had written and published another two books, 'Year of the Shining Cuckoo' in 1961, and 'Cape Lost' in 1963. 'The Golden Country' followed in 1965 - all published by Dent. Her last book, before illness took over, was 'The River Road', published in 1980.
When interviewed a number of years ago, Joyce West quoted a letter she had received from at least one sympathetic publisher of New Zealand literature at that time. "You must not feel that writing children's books is a sign of arrested development. In publishing circles, writing for children is regarded as one of the most difficult and demanding, and also one of the most valuable branches of writing. Today (by the way) would-be authors don't cut their teeth by writing for children first, then graduating by writing for adults, they remain children's writers".
Joyce West lived in a small cottage surrounded by trees in 18th Avenue, Tauranga. She was born Joyce Tarlton West in Auckland City, her parents travelling much of the North Island, teaching in remote Maori schools. Dredging her memories of childhood days, she said that her father had a background of Kipling's India. In his young days he travelled between Scotland and India, then did accountancy work in South East Asia, where he met and married Joyce's mother in Hong Kong. They lived for a time in Singapore. She mentioned her father as a terrific story-teller, and an avid reader. Her mother, who had a love of books, would read to her daughters a chapter at a time - books were precious in the backblocks, where the only contact with the outside world was a rural mail delivery. Both parents being teachers, they engendered in their family a love of books, and more important, the use of words.
As a child, Joyce West remembered thoroughly enjoying John Bunyan's 'Pilgrims Progress', possibly because it was read to her, or perhaps because all children love fantasy. She remembered, too, that in the house in their childhood years there were fortnightly Harmsworth publications, which much later she bound volumed. 'Countries of the World', 'People of all Nations', The Harmsworth Encyclopaedia, and its Household Volume. There were also magazines, such as Pearson's, Strand, Wide World, to mention a few. "My mother always said that if we as a family hadn't spent so much on books and magazines, we would have been better off'
Over four decades her reputation as a writer of teenage adventure books became world wide. Not even Margaret Mahy, following in her footsteps, has had television rights secured by Walt Disney Productions for one hour of television. Joyce West achieved this with her 1970 publication of 'The Sea Islanders', which was also a five-part serial on the BBC. It was a Foyle's Book Club book. There was an American edition by Roy Publishers, and Scholastic Magazines (a world-wide organisation) brought out a special paperback edition for schools in America. The book was translated into German and Danish. The then publishing firm of Blackwood & Paul (New Zealand) did a reprint, the first time a New Zealand publisher had shown interest in her writings.
In 1979 J.M. Dent & Sons Ltd., publishers of all her books through Charles E. Tuttle of Tokyo, and the Japanese publishing firm of Akana Sholes, brought out a Japanese translation of 'The Sea Islands', beautifully illustrated. Joyce West's first book published by Dent in 1953, after 13 publishers, chiefly in her own country had turned her manuscript down, was 'Drover's Road'. It was written out of a series of articles for the now defunct Australian Journal. It had a good press in England, and elsewhere. It went into reprint the same year of publication, and yet again in 1958. In 1963 there was a Pennant publication in what would be a Penguin series today, with the one exception Pennant books were case bound, they were not paperbacks. In between, Joyce West had written and published another two books, 'Year of the Shining Cuckoo' in 1961, and 'Cape Lost' in 1963. 'The Golden Country' followed in 1965 - all published by Dent. Her last book, before illness took over, was 'The River Road', published in 1980.
When interviewed a number of years ago, Joyce West quoted a letter she had received from at least one sympathetic publisher of New Zealand literature at that time. "You must not feel that writing children's books is a sign of arrested development. In publishing circles, writing for children is regarded as one of the most difficult and demanding, and also one of the most valuable branches of writing. Today (by the way) would-be authors don't cut their teeth by writing for children first, then graduating by writing for adults, they remain children's writers".
Joyce West lived in a small cottage surrounded by trees in 18th Avenue, Tauranga. She was born Joyce Tarlton West in Auckland City, her parents travelling much of the North Island, teaching in remote Maori schools. Dredging her memories of childhood days, she said that her father had a background of Kipling's India. In his young days he travelled between Scotland and India, then did accountancy work in South East Asia, where he met and married Joyce's mother in Hong Kong. They lived for a time in Singapore. She mentioned her father as a terrific story-teller, and an avid reader. Her mother, who had a love of books, would read to her daughters a chapter at a time - books were precious in the backblocks, where the only contact with the outside world was a rural mail delivery. Both parents being teachers, they engendered in their family a love of books, and more important, the use of words.
As a child, Joyce West remembered thoroughly enjoying John Bunyan's 'Pilgrims Progress', possibly because it was read to her, or perhaps because all children love fantasy. She remembered, too, that in the house in their childhood years there were fortnightly Harmsworth publications, which much later she bound volumed. 'Countries of the World', 'People of all Nations', The Harmsworth Encyclopaedia, and its Household Volume. There were also magazines, such as Pearson's, Strand, Wide World, to mention a few. "My mother always said that if we as a family hadn't spent so much on books and magazines, we would have been better off'
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 14, 2023
I have a very soft spot for New Zealand. Very. I lived down there for roughly 10 months over a few years span. So when I saw that this story takes place in a country very near and dear to me, I couldn’t *not* read this book!
This tale is set in the 1950s on the North Island, at a sheep station called Drover’s Road.
Gay, short for Gabrielle, lives with her uncle, her aunt, and several cousins. One boy cousin in particular, Merry, she spends most of her time with and they get into all kinds of adventurous troubles. I should say laughable trouble - the things they think up and do will have you smirking for sure!
If you’re a fan of NZ, horses, summer adventures, quirky scenarios, farm life, and a good, well told story, this one is for you! Aspects of it remind me of The Little Britches books.
#NewZealand
Ages: 14+
Cleanliness: d*mn is used frequently throughout the entirety of the book. The tweens don’t always do what is right but feel bad/repent of their ways. Mentions drinking; a kid takes brandy when she’s been out in the cold. Mentions smoking. Mentions a man who supposedly killed himself after getting into a financial scandal. The main girl’s parents separated and she’s left with an uncle. She gets very upset at her dad later in the story for leaving her but chooses to put the past behind and start afresh with her dad. There are a couple of romances among the adults, nothing mushy. An older girl likes a boy and spends some time doing things with him, nothing mushy.
This tale is set in the 1950s on the North Island, at a sheep station called Drover’s Road.
Gay, short for Gabrielle, lives with her uncle, her aunt, and several cousins. One boy cousin in particular, Merry, she spends most of her time with and they get into all kinds of adventurous troubles. I should say laughable trouble - the things they think up and do will have you smirking for sure!
If you’re a fan of NZ, horses, summer adventures, quirky scenarios, farm life, and a good, well told story, this one is for you! Aspects of it remind me of The Little Britches books.
#NewZealand
Ages: 14+
Cleanliness: d*mn is used frequently throughout the entirety of the book. The tweens don’t always do what is right but feel bad/repent of their ways. Mentions drinking; a kid takes brandy when she’s been out in the cold. Mentions smoking. Mentions a man who supposedly killed himself after getting into a financial scandal. The main girl’s parents separated and she’s left with an uncle. She gets very upset at her dad later in the story for leaving her but chooses to put the past behind and start afresh with her dad. There are a couple of romances among the adults, nothing mushy. An older girl likes a boy and spends some time doing things with him, nothing mushy.
September 20, 2020
Just listened to this again with the kids. The right amount of children getting into scrapes and strong family bonds. A hit with all the kids. Even sweeter and funnier than I remembered.
January 7, 2025
Brilliant and hilarious
An old family in New Zealand-
sheep farms, horse shows, old ghosts, silly females, naughty and boisterous children, all the elements desired to make an excellent story.
Written so that each chapter could stand alone, Drover’s Road paints a lovely picture of family love.
Heart warming
An old family in New Zealand-
sheep farms, horse shows, old ghosts, silly females, naughty and boisterous children, all the elements desired to make an excellent story.
Written so that each chapter could stand alone, Drover’s Road paints a lovely picture of family love.
Heart warming
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews