Break for Freedom: The Story of a Mink

by Ewan Clarkson

Syla was a mink, about eighteen inches long, weighing about twenty-four ounces, and so dark brown she looked almost black.

At first glance she was identical with the forty-nine other females of her tribe, and the cage where she lived was identical with theirs, except for one thing - there was a loose staple in the floor of her sleeping box. And that wasv the way that Syla escaped from the fur farm to find new life, free in a remote valley on the edge of Dartmoor, free to hunt and fish and play, and also to face dangers of traps or sudden chills or fierce animals, or the perils of the wild life which has no mercy on weakness or carelessness.

Ewan Clarkson is an expert naturalist and makes a fascinating story of Syla's year on the moor, her brief courtship with another escaped mink and her life with her cubs. At the same time he tells us about all the other inhabitants of Dartmoor, the birds and insects, snakes and rodents, till the moor seems as busy and complicated as the greatest human city.

For readers of eleven upwards.

Genres: Fiction, Young Adult, Animals

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1968

About the author

Clarkson was born in Workington on 23 January 1929. He was educated at Altrincham Grammar School and served in the Royal Army Medical Corps between 1947-49.

His first book was Break for Freedom, also published in the United States as Syla, the Mink (1968), telling the story of a mink escaping from a fur farm in Devon, and showing the influence of Henry Williamson's stories about Devon wildlife. Clarkson gave a particular focus to the impact of man's activities on nature, a theme he developed in subsequent works, following Break for Freedom with Halic, the Story of a Grey Seal in 1970, and a number of other novels and non-fiction wildlife books. He was an early critic of the use of pesticides and several of his works explore the negative effects on the environment of intensive farming methods.

Clarkson's books often appeared on both adults' and children's lists, and he stated that education was one of the main purposes of his writing. Clarkson also wrote several books on animals aimed specifically at younger children, as well as many magazine articles about angling: an accomplished fisherman, he was regarded as a pioneer of saltwater fly fishing techniques.

Clarkson, who lived in Newton Abbot, died on 19 April 2010.

Source: Wikipedia

Reviews

[Behi · Rating 3 out of 5]

دقیقا همین الان وقتش بود که بخونم :))
برای آزادی
#مهسا_امینی

[Little Miss Netty · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thought-provoking insight into the life of an escaped female mink. This non-sentimental story exposes the harsh brutality of nature in all it's mercilessness. We behold the captivating tapestry of Syla's life, her instinctive reactions to other fauna within her environment and the encounters with her own kind. The surrounding habitat and the lives of other animals are wonderfully described.

As well as being a great story-teller, the author was very knowledgeable in biology and ecology, and surprising facts were revealed along the way, although not all pleasant.

It's a poignant tale that reminds us all that we are part of the circle of life, as we are born from nature we are destined to die and the warm earth reclaim us. I personally do not find this morbid but comforting, along with the last line in the book: "Somewhere in the great wheel of the universe, there will always be life."

[Susannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book far more than I thought I would. I was dragged into the complex, interwoven web of the English countryside, bluntly observed by the wily wanderings of a freed mink. This short little book also came with several messages concerning the ecosystem and how people play a huge, and rather unintentional role in it.
Written in the mid 60's, there were very few "green" laws as we know them today and the author certainly had an agenda. Though, it's hard to deny the charm and openness of this book. Even if it is very often riddled with the cruelty of nature, that unpredictable ruler of all. I can honestly say I fell for the characters, thought not a single line of dialogue was spoken.
So, if you're looking for a blunt, fascinating look into the natural world, definitely check this book out. The animals act like animals and they are thrown amidst a world of change and turmoil. Though, nothings too much for the intrepid Syla... Right?

[Kai Fletcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

I will admit I cried in the end. A lot. So this gets a LOT of credit for that!!

However, I do feel like in the beginning of each chapter, we got very much lost in the weeds of what was happening with the whole rest of the environment, biology, etc - and, while fascinating, it very much distracted from the story & character(s) we came to care about so much.

[Jehnya Footitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is a heartwarming love letter to nature. I feel so incredibly touched, and I adore our planet.

[Clare O'Beara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent story for young adults about Syla a mink who escapes from a fur farm and lives wild in England. The nature information is really well imparted as she struggles for survival and to find a mate.

[SiSApis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book in third grade, and have thought about it for decades; it took me years to finally track down a copy to add to my personal library and re-read. I remember being fascinated by it as a child. It was far more difficult for me as an adult--Syla's story is heartrending (which was NOT the impression I carried with me from childhood--not at all!). It was stunning how completely different the things I focused on and remembered from my childhood read were, versus what struck me, reading it as an adult. Reading it as an adult, I realized, too, that it was really not written to be a "child's book." (There's no reason for it not to be, but, like _Watership Down_, which I also read for the first time around that age, it isn't "child lit"). It found its way into my elementary school library anyway, and it made such an impression on me that I have remembered it all my life. If you read it as a grown-up, you won't want to give it to your child, I'll bet. But. . . considering my child self's engagement with it, I'd say--you should. Maybe don't you read it first. Just add it to your library, and let your child discover it on their own, as I did. And ponder it in their heart.

[Shane]

There's something almost spiritual about the way Ewan Clarkson writes about nature — how every action of every actor in an environment affects everything.

Motnik's death genuinely had my jaw on the floor, and Syla''s story both warmed and sank my heart! Nature is so incredibly beautiful, scary, fascinating and poetic.