Burning Eddy

by Scot Gardner

'Get a life, Fairy.'In the country, where his fifteenth summer has burned the life from the grass, Daniel Fairbrother is searching. Looking for something that will make tomorrow seem worth the effort. Something that will fix the rot in his family tree.He works in the Dutch woman's garden. Eddy's eighty-six. She can read Daniel's mind. She has a tattoo, a history, and can make music with her farts.In a shady corner of Eddy's garden, Daniel finds something growing. . .Hope.But something is burning.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Read For School, Contemporary, Australia

205 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 2003

About the author

Scot Gardner wasn't born reading and writing; in fact, he left school in year eleven to undertake an apprenticeship in gardening with the local council. He has worked as a waiter, masseur, delivery truck driver, home dad, counselor, and musician.

These days he spends half the year writing and half the year on the road talking to people about his books and the craft of writing.

Reviews

[Aj the Ravenous Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Sometimes death is a gift. Sometimes it’s like the end of a good book. You turn the last page and think, Jeez that was a great story.” – Daniel

Well, the quote above pretty much sums up this book and I’ll do nothing else but sit by the window and quietly cry for a good 12 hours or so.

No? You want a little more? Fine! I’ll give you what little this fragile heart of mine could manage. *sniffs*

If you’re thinking “No, not another heart-wrenching tearjerker, I’m sorry but I think I’ll pass”, then you’re definitely mistaken. This is not that kind of book because the tears I cried were tears of gratitude, inspiration and complete satisfaction because I have just read one of the most incredibly wonderful stories, a very rare story told by Daniel, a fifteen year old boy who couldn’t seem to get much of a life with a sad past and a not so fully functional family until he meets Eddy, a wonderful, hilarious, expert at breaking wind eighty-something year old lady who despite her age is full of life, wisdom and love.

“You have only a short time on this earth. Take risks. Not with your life, with your heart.”

The narrative starts slowly like one of the loveliest songs you’ve ever heard which at first you doubt will be anything amazing because it begins with the simplest notes. Then it slowly ascends into powerful, beautiful ones that you couldn’t help but get lost, get trapped into the most intricate, most inspiring melody that is the story and you end up listening to it with your eyes closed, happy tears running down your face and that thankful smile for the amazing opportunity and fortune to have read such a surprisingly good book right on your hands.

[Bridget · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dan is a 15 yr old, growing up in the Australian bush. Country towns can be tough when you are new, when you don't have a friend, when your family is troubled and when the kids at school persecute you daily. Dan gets a job helping in the garden of an elderly Dutch woman Eddy, over time they become close, share stories and a little bit of magic. Dan learns much about life and love of every kind in the course of the story. Eddy doesn't care what people think and she teaches Dan to be resilient and to be himself. Scot Gardner writes so comfortably about teenage boys, he nails their desperate quest for acceptance and there is plenty of drama and action and a wee bit of romance too. A great book for troubled teens with difficult home lives, but like all Scot Gardner's books a great book for everyone.

[Bec · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a child/teenager growing up in the hills of Adelaide with chickens, veggies, strangling, delicious blackberry plants and paddocks full of cows (with the occasional kangaroo hopping through) I dreamt of the concrete jungle depicted in books like Looking for Alibrandi. When I moved to Melbourne ten years ago, I felt like I was finally home.

Burning Eddy felt like a different kind of home to me as I was reading it, that home of my childhood. Scot Gardner has a way of describing things that are so familiar that I'm catapulted straight back to the moment I first mistook an angry koala for a wild boar, my countless run ins with hairy huntsmen and forgotten tin sheds surrounded by brushland and shrub.

My full review available here

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved it. Recommended to me by my best friend who sure knows what I like! Australian, ya, animals, the bush, and a feisty Dutch woman who peppers her English with Dutch words. Just perfect :D Once I started, I couldn't put it down until I was done :D

[Muphyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a slow story but skillfully told. Gives that eerie sense of the loneliness and remoteness of the Australian bush that also comes across in Tim Winton's stories. Superbly narrated.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

it was sooooo awesome, i finished it in two days

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

The heat of summer has started many fires, but there is something else burning in Daniel's life. It is in the jungle of a garden that belongs to the Dutch lady, Eddy, that Daniel finds something growing. It is through Eddy that Daniel learns love, happiness, and most importantly forgiveness. A true coming of age story, Scot Gardner has weaved a story that will leave readers with a melancholy happiness at the end.

[Pam Saunders · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do enjoy Scot Gardner's work and this one was another winner for me. Friendship and learning to grow up in against the odds, he does it beautifully.

[Mrs Rosentreter]

I cried, I laughed, I couldn't put it down. What more could one ask for?

[Chelsey Mitchelhill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I met Scot Gardner at a writer’s camp as a kid. His passion for writing was infectious and that was the day I truly decided I wanted to be an author when I grew up (still a dream I’d love to achieve one day!).
Reading this again was so nostalgic for me. It’s set in Vic in the early 2000s and has so many references to my childhood that it was like taking a trip down memory lane.
I part audiobooked this too and found the narrator fantastic.
The themes in this are deep and have a pretty in depth look at being a teenager in that era in Australia.
Dan’s relationship with Eddy is so incredibly heartwarming! This gorgeous 86yo Dutch woman, who toots when she walks, changes his life and gives him many life truths that help him so much. It really makes you realise how much natural human connection we’ve lost in recent years…
Overall a fantastic teen novel that is relevant to all ages!

[Miss Nessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic book. A story of a gentle teenage boy navigating a difficult time in his life.
Then he meets Eddy...
A beautiful character - fun, caring, accepting and kind.
I highly recommend this book for any readers of age - but it is a lovely portrayal of a different path a teenage boy can take when faced with violence, bullying, grief and loss.

[Brionee Noonan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great Australian coming of age story

[Julanna Hennessy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nicely written Australian country coming of age book, encompassing dysfunctional families and lovely friendships.

[Eyla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had read this book for school, and because of this, I wasn't expecting it to be very good. It surprised me, I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. It is more of a character driven book than a plot driven book but if you enjoy well developed characters, I think you'll like this.

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great little coming of age story that captures the world of teenagers in country Australia - and by this I don't necessarily just mean getting your Ls and the occasional risk of hitting wildlife on the road, but the way in which small towns work, where everyone both knows and don't know your business.

I really liked Dan, the main character, caught in a tough home situation but still so kind - his relationship with his little brother was especially moving.

While I think some things tied up a little too conveniently, this is the kind of young adult novel that should be better known - particularly for young men.

[Alex Fairhill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daniel is in high school, a middle child, has a father who does shift work and is constantly grumpy, lives on an isolated rural Australian road in a bushfire-prone area, and works in other people's gardens. He begins working for Dutch woman Eddy, who gives him cinnamon biscuits, farts a lot, and treats Daniel like a son.
Daniel and his family face a range of struggles, from first love to life-threatening situations, but the story is not melodramatic, and shows that strength comes in many forms.
Daniel's love of animals and the appearance of many different types help him understand what is going on around him.
A great read, and well-written with a resoundingly honest and heartfelt voice.

[St Stephen's C C]

'Get a life, Fairy.' In the country, where his fifteenth summer has burned the life from the grass, Daniel Fairbrother is searching. Looking for something that will make tomorrow seem worth the effort. Something that will fix the rot in his family tree. He works in the Dutch woman's garden. Eddy's eighty-six. She can read Daniel's mind. She has a tattoo, a history, and can make music with her farts. In a shady corner of Eddy's garden, Daniel finds something growing. . .Hope. But something is burning.

[Bre · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this book. This is the at least the second time I've read Burning Eddy, I read it a couple of times as a child. This time, I laughed out loud, burst into tears and fell in love with Daniel, Eddy and Toby.

[Blue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a magical read with endearing characters. Soaked up every page in this novel. One to remember about even after a long time (:

[Sisca Veronica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the characters in this books. And I love the plot. The eccentric of Eddie,the main character has a nature ability,nature loves him and he blending with it, weird personality of his father, later known because of his dark past, the romance of main character his charlotte. I LOVE it!

[Carolyne · Rating 4 out of 5]

No matter who you are this book will make you look at yourself and think....
It's a really good book for any age.

[Tamzin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jasper Jones without the murder, a good yarn.

[Eleanor Smythe · Rating 1 out of 5]

it took my at least 24 times to get the 4th chapter. and to this day my book mark still stays in that place. i recommend this book to 10-13 year olds.

[Zi Yan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book worth reading!

[Anne Hamilton · Rating 3 out of 5]

A slow-paced story with a deep sense of place. Eddy is a Dutch woman who helps Daniel Fairbrother (“Fairy”) while his father is imprisoned.

[Scott Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for country kids. Upbeat despite some misery.