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Thunderstone: A True Story of Losing One Home and Discovering Another
*WINNER OF THE ACKERLEY PRIZE 2023*
'Here is a writer who knows better than most of us how to live.' Helen Jukes, author of A Honeybee Heart Has Five Openings
'There is just one object I want to carry inside the van... It was believed lightning would not strike a house that held a thunderstone. I place this fossil on the windowsill, its surface gleaming like cat's eyes ahead of me on a dark road.'
In the wake of a traumatic lockdown, Nancy Campbell buys an old caravan and drives it into a strip of neglected woodland between a canal and railway. There is no plumbed water and no electricity point in the wilds beyond its eggshell walls.
As summer begins, Nancy embraces the challenge of how to live well in this unconventional place. But when illness and uncertainty loom once more, she must discover a way to hold on to beauty and wonder, to anchor herself in this safe space - her shelter from the storm.
___
'The most thoughtful and soothing book I've read this year.' Daily Mail
'A beautiful and often very funny account of hope and healing in the face of illness and uncertainty.'TLS
'How to find beauty and wonder even in the most trying of circumstances'The Scotsman
'An uplifting, heart-filled read full of hope and love.' Lulah Ellender, author of Grounding
'Here is a writer who knows better than most of us how to live.' Helen Jukes, author of A Honeybee Heart Has Five Openings
'There is just one object I want to carry inside the van... It was believed lightning would not strike a house that held a thunderstone. I place this fossil on the windowsill, its surface gleaming like cat's eyes ahead of me on a dark road.'
In the wake of a traumatic lockdown, Nancy Campbell buys an old caravan and drives it into a strip of neglected woodland between a canal and railway. There is no plumbed water and no electricity point in the wilds beyond its eggshell walls.
As summer begins, Nancy embraces the challenge of how to live well in this unconventional place. But when illness and uncertainty loom once more, she must discover a way to hold on to beauty and wonder, to anchor herself in this safe space - her shelter from the storm.
___
'The most thoughtful and soothing book I've read this year.' Daily Mail
'A beautiful and often very funny account of hope and healing in the face of illness and uncertainty.'TLS
'How to find beauty and wonder even in the most trying of circumstances'The Scotsman
'An uplifting, heart-filled read full of hope and love.' Lulah Ellender, author of Grounding
240 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 11, 2022
16 people are currently reading
334 people want to read
About the author
Nancy Campbell
57 books22 followersNancy Campbell is the editress of ABOVE RUBIES, a magazine devoted to bringing strength and encouragement to women in their roles as wives and mothers. Printed since 1977, ABOVE RUBIES serves as a lifeline to marriages and families all around the globe.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
August 12, 2024
Just before Covid hit, Campbell’s partner Anna had a partially disabling stroke. They had to adjust to lockdown and the rigours of Anna’s at-home care at once. It was complicated in that Campbell was already halfway out the door: after 10 years, their relationship had run its course and she knew it was time to go, but guilt lingered about abandoning Anna at her most vulnerable (“How dare I leave someone who needed me”). That is the backdrop to a quiet book largely formed of a diary spanning June to September 2021. Campbell recounts settling into a caravan by the canal and railway line in Oxford, getting plenty of help from friends and neighbours but also finding her own inner resources and enjoying her natural setting.
The title refers to a fossil that has been considered a talisman in various cultures, and she needed the good luck during a period that involved accidental carbon monoxide poisoning and surgery for an ovarian abnormality (but it didn’t protect her books, which were all destroyed in a leaking shipping container – the horror!). I most enjoyed the longer entries where she muses on “All the potential lives I moved on from” during 20 years in Oxford and elsewhere, which makes me think that I would have preferred a more traditional memoir by her. Covid narratives feel really dated now, unfortunately.
Originally published on my blog, Bookish Beck.
The title refers to a fossil that has been considered a talisman in various cultures, and she needed the good luck during a period that involved accidental carbon monoxide poisoning and surgery for an ovarian abnormality (but it didn’t protect her books, which were all destroyed in a leaking shipping container – the horror!). I most enjoyed the longer entries where she muses on “All the potential lives I moved on from” during 20 years in Oxford and elsewhere, which makes me think that I would have preferred a more traditional memoir by her. Covid narratives feel really dated now, unfortunately.
Originally published on my blog, Bookish Beck.
September 16, 2022
Life has a way of throwing curveballs at you when you least expect it; I know I am living through one of them at the moment. For Nancy Campbell though it came in three parts. Firstly there was the pandemic, this huge disrupter to life as we had known it. On top of that, she had a phone call whilst she was in Germany. It was a call that could not be ignored and it was to tell her that her partner had had a stroke. The final curveball for her was knowing that their relationship had reached an end.
Adrift from all that she once held dear, she tries to think about what she would be best doing. There were various options but she is persuaded to spend £750 that she really doesn’t have on a caravan. It is towed to a spot between the canal and railway by a new friend called Sven. She is in good company there, others live on the canal who are on the fringes of society in Oxford and they welcome her into the community.
This is a diary of the summer months in 2021 as she adapts to her new life alone. It is full of the detail of her new life as she adapts to living in a tiny tin box. But there is much more than that in this memoir, She is very open with her thoughts and feelings, showing at times some really raw emotions and her own medical condition. She also uses her diary to reflect on the events in the wider world and the mundane moments that go to make up life.
She has a way with words that is memorising and this is a book that has life and death, love and pain in equal measure. I liked this a lot and it doesn’t feel heavily edited either, entries for some days are long and thoughtful and others are just a note of what happened that particular day. One entry was blank, quite a poignant moment in itself. This is not going to be an easy read for some people, but her calm amidst the storms that swirl around her is inspirational.
Adrift from all that she once held dear, she tries to think about what she would be best doing. There were various options but she is persuaded to spend £750 that she really doesn’t have on a caravan. It is towed to a spot between the canal and railway by a new friend called Sven. She is in good company there, others live on the canal who are on the fringes of society in Oxford and they welcome her into the community.
This is a diary of the summer months in 2021 as she adapts to her new life alone. It is full of the detail of her new life as she adapts to living in a tiny tin box. But there is much more than that in this memoir, She is very open with her thoughts and feelings, showing at times some really raw emotions and her own medical condition. She also uses her diary to reflect on the events in the wider world and the mundane moments that go to make up life.
She has a way with words that is memorising and this is a book that has life and death, love and pain in equal measure. I liked this a lot and it doesn’t feel heavily edited either, entries for some days are long and thoughtful and others are just a note of what happened that particular day. One entry was blank, quite a poignant moment in itself. This is not going to be an easy read for some people, but her calm amidst the storms that swirl around her is inspirational.
June 4, 2022
Campbell travels back to Oxford and a dying relationship to find that her partner has had a stroke and is in intensive care. Caring for her both in hospital and out, they plunge into the pandemic lockdown with only each other, in a cramped flat. Campbell, used to travelling the world, finds herself unravelling and to give herself some space, invests in a rundown caravan which she installs in a small patch of scrubby woodland by the canal, where she attempts to find her equilibrium in the coming months. Enforced quiet and the inability to travel means that she extends her gaze to the small, liminal community of the river bank and those who, like her, have been pushed to the sides of life by illness, both their own and others they care for.
This is powerful, beautiful and quiet. It is a book of longing and stillness and of noticing and perspective. I loved it.
This is powerful, beautiful and quiet. It is a book of longing and stillness and of noticing and perspective. I loved it.
April 12, 2023
I loved Nancy Campbell's The Library of Ice and Fifty Words For Snow so much that I picked up Thunderstone even though the blurb didn't especially draw me in. This was an error. Thunderstone is an edited version of a journal Campbell kept when she was living in a static caravan in a strip of woodland near a canal outside Oxford. The setting resonated with me: I used to live in Littlemore and could cycle into Oxford along the river, so although this was clearly not the same bit where Campbell lived, I remember the communities that staked out space in the woods there, and reading this brought back some things I had forgotten. However, I've almost never read a novel that works for me told in short-ish diary entries, and non-fiction seems to be no exception. I wouldn't have decided to read this if I'd known it was written in this style, as I find it works against establishing any pace or thematic through-lines. Nevertheless, Campbell's writing is still both beautiful and precise, and others may get on with this memoir much better than I did. DNF @40%.
I received a free proof copy of this book from the publisher for review.
I received a free proof copy of this book from the publisher for review.
July 10, 2022
This was wonderful, a memoir that is honest and intimate, Campbell shares things on these pages that I think is incredibly brave of her. Campbell has a very tough lock-down and as a way of finding her place in life again she buys a caravan and with the help of the mighty, very lovable/annoying Sven, she parks up in a neglected wood alongside a canal. Here she meets a wonderful collection of people happy in the life they are living and it is them that help her find her place.
The book is written as diary entries from June to September, with a section at the front explaining what came before and why Campbell was in a caravan. Like a proper diary you get to read the writer’s opinions on whatever is current that day or events happening in the writer’s life, you get little titbits about things she sees, a snail undulating across the window or a new plant that has started growing and Campbell shares her huge knowledge of all things and fantastic writing to almost teach the reader something new every day…sticking with the snail as an example I now know how they feed and why they don’t go in a straight line….turns out they ain’t the drunkest animal on the planet. The community of people she meets are wonderful, they take her in and treat her as one of their own, which works well as the further into the book you go the more you start to care for Campbell, you really appreciate how they come to her aid again and again.
If the lock-down was tough then the caravan was in direct competition to make things as tough as possible, disaster after disaster really started to affect Campbell’s mental health and it was Sven that steps in to save her life. A very knowledgeable man I learnt loads from him too. Campbell is such an observant person and she shares what she sees and there is a lot she sees that most people would miss. She also shares her love of books and a few more have been added to my tbr list.
I have enjoyed reading and learning with Campbell and with how the book ends I am wondering if there will be a second season in the caravan as I’d love to hear about how all the plants are doing and how the gang are getting on. Great stuff!
Blog review: https://felcherman.wordpress.com/2022...
The book is written as diary entries from June to September, with a section at the front explaining what came before and why Campbell was in a caravan. Like a proper diary you get to read the writer’s opinions on whatever is current that day or events happening in the writer’s life, you get little titbits about things she sees, a snail undulating across the window or a new plant that has started growing and Campbell shares her huge knowledge of all things and fantastic writing to almost teach the reader something new every day…sticking with the snail as an example I now know how they feed and why they don’t go in a straight line….turns out they ain’t the drunkest animal on the planet. The community of people she meets are wonderful, they take her in and treat her as one of their own, which works well as the further into the book you go the more you start to care for Campbell, you really appreciate how they come to her aid again and again.
If the lock-down was tough then the caravan was in direct competition to make things as tough as possible, disaster after disaster really started to affect Campbell’s mental health and it was Sven that steps in to save her life. A very knowledgeable man I learnt loads from him too. Campbell is such an observant person and she shares what she sees and there is a lot she sees that most people would miss. She also shares her love of books and a few more have been added to my tbr list.
I have enjoyed reading and learning with Campbell and with how the book ends I am wondering if there will be a second season in the caravan as I’d love to hear about how all the plants are doing and how the gang are getting on. Great stuff!
Blog review: https://felcherman.wordpress.com/2022...
September 15, 2022
Gorgeous. The sort of book you come back to time and time again. A testament to the power of community, and how healing does not have to be linear or follow a set path. I love stories about people fleeing all their earthly possessions and immersing themselves in nature wish that was me. WISH
September 2, 2022
After a traumatic lockdown Nancy Campbell buys an old caravan and drives it off to a strip of neglected woodland. This is an intimate journal across a summer, embracing the challenge of how to live well when emotions threaten to tumble. How to help nature flourish, with friendships made, finding solace and hope and how to live life with imagination and bravery.
‘It was believed lightening would not strike a house that held a thunder stone. And so these fossils were placed on top of clocks, under floorboards, over stable doors…But there are some storms that thunder stones cannot prevent..’
This book is full of raw emotion, illness goes off like a hammer blow, the grief, the honesty of being stuck in the pandemic and the all consuming fear of helplessness are laid out for the reader
‘The Howl is an animal that stalks me now. A silent, unpredictable, chest-wrenching, bent-double, dribbling-out-of-the-mouth-that-will-not-close sorrow.’
It was for me an extremely powerful, heartwrenching and truthful read. It is not all doom and gloom however, don’t get me wrong! Some of this felt joyous to me, there are so many little wins in this book and the beauty of nature and living in it and having it surround you was wonderful too.
‘Thunder strikes and forges a new star on a stone. The urchin nestles deeper in the silt. Seas rise and ice retreats, and a woman finds a fossil in the rubble and places it in her pocket.’
This book is a keeper, quietly powerful, calming and eloquent. The lyrical beauty of the words wash over and through you as you read. Not to be missed.
✩✩✩✩✩
‘It was believed lightening would not strike a house that held a thunder stone. And so these fossils were placed on top of clocks, under floorboards, over stable doors…But there are some storms that thunder stones cannot prevent..’
This book is full of raw emotion, illness goes off like a hammer blow, the grief, the honesty of being stuck in the pandemic and the all consuming fear of helplessness are laid out for the reader
‘The Howl is an animal that stalks me now. A silent, unpredictable, chest-wrenching, bent-double, dribbling-out-of-the-mouth-that-will-not-close sorrow.’
It was for me an extremely powerful, heartwrenching and truthful read. It is not all doom and gloom however, don’t get me wrong! Some of this felt joyous to me, there are so many little wins in this book and the beauty of nature and living in it and having it surround you was wonderful too.
‘Thunder strikes and forges a new star on a stone. The urchin nestles deeper in the silt. Seas rise and ice retreats, and a woman finds a fossil in the rubble and places it in her pocket.’
This book is a keeper, quietly powerful, calming and eloquent. The lyrical beauty of the words wash over and through you as you read. Not to be missed.
✩✩✩✩✩
Currently reading
May 25, 2023Unfortunately the ARC expired before I finished. I'm about 25% in and I truly loved what I've read.
It is incredible how Campbell's writing is so sad - especially the part about breaking up but still living with Anna - yet somehow so tender and comforting. Her writing perfectly captures the complexity of the situation, that constant tension between physical nearness and emotional & cognitive distance caused by Anna’s aphasia.
And then comes hope and a new life. She buys a caravan, meets new people, begins to get to grips with her new life - all the details are fascinating.
I'd love to pick up from where I left off sometime in the future.
It is incredible how Campbell's writing is so sad - especially the part about breaking up but still living with Anna - yet somehow so tender and comforting. Her writing perfectly captures the complexity of the situation, that constant tension between physical nearness and emotional & cognitive distance caused by Anna’s aphasia.
And then comes hope and a new life. She buys a caravan, meets new people, begins to get to grips with her new life - all the details are fascinating.
I'd love to pick up from where I left off sometime in the future.
March 31, 2024
A very unsettling story that starts out as one thing and morphs into another. Beautifully written with a lot of empathy with the subject matter. Running away or finding home. Depends on your perspective.
July 3, 2025
Picked this up in a second hand bookshop and what an unexpected treasure it turned out to be, mainly because I hadn’t realised it was set in Oxford. Sometimes books take you to new places but this one had a sense of place that was familiar. The loss and challenges faced by the author and the healing of solitude and nature, are poignantly described but never morose.
August 11, 2022
Firstly I wish to thank the lovely people at Elliot & Thompson for sending me this absolute stunner of a book with the request for an open and honest review.
What can I say about this beautifully written and deeply personal memoir?
Just glorious, brave, awe inspiring and, exactly as is said on the front cover of the book, it’s truly life-affirming.
The book is written as journal and through the entries we follow the author after a traumatic lockdown. She buys a caravan and from there we follow her day to day life, the people she meets, the occurrences of the natural world that she witnesses.
The author deals with issues of mental health and the importance of having the right balance of people in your life to pull you through the dark times.
This is a book I want everyone to read, especially if lockdown and the pandemic weren’t a time you want to look on in any kind of fondness… I always feel that reading about other people’s experiences of the same situation gives you a greater sense of togetherness and a feeling that you’re not alone.
We all experienced the crashing sense of doom that the covid pandemic put us through and this book, for me, put a very different slant on the experience I felt I had.
Never judge a book by its cover or a person by the way they live their lives… You have no idea what they’ve been through and how they survived to get out on the other side of it!
What can I say about this beautifully written and deeply personal memoir?
Just glorious, brave, awe inspiring and, exactly as is said on the front cover of the book, it’s truly life-affirming.
The book is written as journal and through the entries we follow the author after a traumatic lockdown. She buys a caravan and from there we follow her day to day life, the people she meets, the occurrences of the natural world that she witnesses.
The author deals with issues of mental health and the importance of having the right balance of people in your life to pull you through the dark times.
This is a book I want everyone to read, especially if lockdown and the pandemic weren’t a time you want to look on in any kind of fondness… I always feel that reading about other people’s experiences of the same situation gives you a greater sense of togetherness and a feeling that you’re not alone.
We all experienced the crashing sense of doom that the covid pandemic put us through and this book, for me, put a very different slant on the experience I felt I had.
Never judge a book by its cover or a person by the way they live their lives… You have no idea what they’ve been through and how they survived to get out on the other side of it!
August 26, 2022
I absolutely loved this book, truly I did. I admit I wasn’t too keen on the first part when Nancy was caring for Anna but as soon as she left to live in the caravan, the book picked up.
Written in journal form, the book not only covers Nancy’s day to day life, it also introduces us to some fabulous characters such as Sven and the assassin, and includes wider research about the history and other facts concerning Oxford and the surrounding area. I have to say that Sven was portrayed as a wonderful person; I wish I had my own Sven in my life!
While living in a caravan may appear to be a carefree existence, Nancy does not romanticise it and tells us all about the problems she experienced, such as broken boilers and heaters and how making coffee nearly killed her. It’s true life stuff, no gloss.
One thing I loved was how Nancy showed the passing of time - not just through her journal entries, but by reporting what was happening in nature, such as which flowers were blooming or which fruits were ripening. The reader is immersed not only in Nancy’s daily life but also the natural world on her doorstep and really made me feel like I have to ditch my screen and get out more, to see what is growing around my home and learn to identify them. Because of this and so many other reasons, I highly recommend this book to anyone who feels like an undemanding, gentle read. Even if you don’t like reading journals, because I don’t either, yet I thoroughly enjoyed this one!
Written in journal form, the book not only covers Nancy’s day to day life, it also introduces us to some fabulous characters such as Sven and the assassin, and includes wider research about the history and other facts concerning Oxford and the surrounding area. I have to say that Sven was portrayed as a wonderful person; I wish I had my own Sven in my life!
While living in a caravan may appear to be a carefree existence, Nancy does not romanticise it and tells us all about the problems she experienced, such as broken boilers and heaters and how making coffee nearly killed her. It’s true life stuff, no gloss.
One thing I loved was how Nancy showed the passing of time - not just through her journal entries, but by reporting what was happening in nature, such as which flowers were blooming or which fruits were ripening. The reader is immersed not only in Nancy’s daily life but also the natural world on her doorstep and really made me feel like I have to ditch my screen and get out more, to see what is growing around my home and learn to identify them. Because of this and so many other reasons, I highly recommend this book to anyone who feels like an undemanding, gentle read. Even if you don’t like reading journals, because I don’t either, yet I thoroughly enjoyed this one!
August 2, 2022
Nancy returns home to the UK when she receives news that her partner Anna has had a stroke, both her and Anna are both aware that the relationship is rocky and nearly over but Nancy agrees to stay and help with Annas recovery for one year. The year ends and Nancy moves out but she is effectively homeless.
When Anna was in the hospital, Nancy meets a man called Sven (clever pseudonym for Svengali ) who introduces her to his friends who live on the canal, and helps her purchase a second hand caravan so that she can live on the canal bank.
The book is told in diary form and it chronicles Nancy’s life with Anna to living in the caravan and the freedoms and hardship that brings. The book ends as it begins in the same hospital but for different reasons.
This is a lovely book that I could not put down.. I simply adored it, the writing and words were beautiful, each word picked carefully and used for maximum effect.
There is a certain fragility that something is going to go wrong, that the new life she is building for herself will crack and break so very easily and when that moment comes, instead of breaking Nancys life merely bends to take in the new that she has been dealt.
It is a really beautiful book and I am really glad that I have read it.. I will be recommending it to everyone.
#Thunderstone #NetGalley #women #life #nature
When Anna was in the hospital, Nancy meets a man called Sven (clever pseudonym for Svengali ) who introduces her to his friends who live on the canal, and helps her purchase a second hand caravan so that she can live on the canal bank.
The book is told in diary form and it chronicles Nancy’s life with Anna to living in the caravan and the freedoms and hardship that brings. The book ends as it begins in the same hospital but for different reasons.
This is a lovely book that I could not put down.. I simply adored it, the writing and words were beautiful, each word picked carefully and used for maximum effect.
There is a certain fragility that something is going to go wrong, that the new life she is building for herself will crack and break so very easily and when that moment comes, instead of breaking Nancys life merely bends to take in the new that she has been dealt.
It is a really beautiful book and I am really glad that I have read it.. I will be recommending it to everyone.
#Thunderstone #NetGalley #women #life #nature
April 19, 2023
Just as Nancy Campbell decides to break up with her partner, her partner has a life-changing stroke before she can have the conversation. At a more fitting time, she finally does the deed, but agrees to stay and look after her ex as she acclimatises to her new way of living and regains some of her capabilities. Eventually they agree it's for the best that Campbell moves on, and with little savings or income, she sets up home in a caravan on rough ground near a canal.
As she settles into her new existence, she befriends local barge dwellers, expanding her support network in new and unexpected ways. She reclaims the rough ground, planting things of beauty and things to eat, as she ekes out her off-grid existence. However, she starts to have health issues of her own, beyond mild carbon monoxide poisoning from her stove, which threatens her new-found solitude, forcing her back into the harsh real world.
This is an incredibly well written and researched book. Campbell riffs on topics and takes the reader on a fascinating educational journey through the rural idylls of Oxford and beyond. The narrative is intimate and engaging, and you come away from it feeling like you really know Campbell. Highly recommended.
As she settles into her new existence, she befriends local barge dwellers, expanding her support network in new and unexpected ways. She reclaims the rough ground, planting things of beauty and things to eat, as she ekes out her off-grid existence. However, she starts to have health issues of her own, beyond mild carbon monoxide poisoning from her stove, which threatens her new-found solitude, forcing her back into the harsh real world.
This is an incredibly well written and researched book. Campbell riffs on topics and takes the reader on a fascinating educational journey through the rural idylls of Oxford and beyond. The narrative is intimate and engaging, and you come away from it feeling like you really know Campbell. Highly recommended.
April 24, 2023
3.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
Nancy’s partner, Anna, suffers a stroke & as they enter lockdown, they agree it’s best they live apart. Nancy & Anna do not own their home, and Nancy does not have the means to buy a house. She therefore purchases a caravan, drives it to a neglected strip of land & begins life in the first home she has ever owned.
The caravan has no plumbed water, nor electricity, but what becomes apparent is Nancy’s awareness of the nature, and nurture, of her surroundings. Interspersed within Nancy’s own personal story are historical and literary references, and all the elements of living in the midst of nature. And her rather annoying “neighbour”, Sven!
Nancy and Anna remain in contact. Nancy reflects upon leaving Anna, for which she feels guilt, but she is reminded of how she also has a responsibility to herself, for her own happiness too. She reminisces of times with Anna, and the achievements Anna has also made.
A book of hope, of recognising the joy of nature and one’s surroundings. And ultimately, a story of new beginnings and discovering that, even as health declines, we can create a new way of living.
Nancy’s partner, Anna, suffers a stroke & as they enter lockdown, they agree it’s best they live apart. Nancy & Anna do not own their home, and Nancy does not have the means to buy a house. She therefore purchases a caravan, drives it to a neglected strip of land & begins life in the first home she has ever owned.
The caravan has no plumbed water, nor electricity, but what becomes apparent is Nancy’s awareness of the nature, and nurture, of her surroundings. Interspersed within Nancy’s own personal story are historical and literary references, and all the elements of living in the midst of nature. And her rather annoying “neighbour”, Sven!
Nancy and Anna remain in contact. Nancy reflects upon leaving Anna, for which she feels guilt, but she is reminded of how she also has a responsibility to herself, for her own happiness too. She reminisces of times with Anna, and the achievements Anna has also made.
A book of hope, of recognising the joy of nature and one’s surroundings. And ultimately, a story of new beginnings and discovering that, even as health declines, we can create a new way of living.
August 6, 2022
Oh I loved every page of this - a poet in lockdown whose relationship is unravelling, obliging her to find herself a new home, a new beginning. First she befriends a fellow visitor in her local hospital and then she buys an old caravan. These two will change her life. What makes this a standout read for me is the beautiful writing and fearlessness in telling her story. I particularly loved her referencing the books she read in lockdown and was thrilled to see Canadian artist Emily Carr's (1871-1945) name among those mentioned. Carr bought herself a van to live in while she painted outdoors. If you loved Thunderstone, you'll love Carr's memoirs too - there are many similarities between these two highly intelligent and independent women. Highly recommend!
April 26, 2023
I think the best non-fiction books are the ones where you have to remind yourself that they aren’t fiction that what you are reading is actually true as you easily get lost in the writing and this is definitely one of those books. The writing is beautifully and poetically as you would expect and the author has the ability to make even the most ordinary of diary entries interesting. This is a book about people and places that all come together to form a community. It’s about the most unlikeliest of people coming together to support each other in their time of need. I honestly think all of us would be better for having people like this in our lives. This is definitely a book full of nature, love and hope.
January 13, 2025
This was an interesting book for a few reasons, the least of which is that it *literally * fell apart in my hands--every single page came apart as I turned it, leaving me with a curious sort of folio of pages once I finished it. In that sense, the book (purchased second hand on eBay, and therefore possessed of a sort of tacky, damp history) felt akin to how most of this narrative felt: hanging on by a wish and thread and a bit of luck that it's not very long.
That's slightly underselling it, too, because end of day I did enjoy this curious book, picked out as the book to read for a book club that's situated on an honest-to-god houseboat (book barge, as it were), unlike our Nancy Campbell, Poet Laureate of the Canals, who actually chooses to live in a campervan/caravan next to but not on the river. Having just lived through a single day of Andy's stay in a narrowboat on the river (hi, Good Material!) I don't entirely understand Campbell's desire to move into such a situation, but as noted there's not really many other options awaiting a professional author with £750 or so in her bank account.
The funniest part of this book is how passionately I started defending it when the other attendees at the book club (to which I was, in fact, a new member) disliked it. I didn't particularly like Campbell--I found her lack of self-sufficiency rather appaling in a woman her age--but boy did I want to defend her right to be self-centered and self-absorbed and write an entire book about a handful of months she spent in a van in the midst of COVID. So what? If that premise doesn't work for you then you don't need to read it. Or if you do, because it's for a a book club and you like the other members, you can read it in the spirit it was written! I suppose it's a new year and I'm not looking for a run of negativity in this the year 2025.
Your enjoyment of this book is likely to come down to your patience with someone's extended diatribes down what could charitably be called Wikipedia rabbit holes, but well written and clearly brimming with curiosity. And as someone who has never met a fun fact or bit of context she didn't want to pepper into her everyday conversations, I found myself very simpatico with Campbell.
That's slightly underselling it, too, because end of day I did enjoy this curious book, picked out as the book to read for a book club that's situated on an honest-to-god houseboat (book barge, as it were), unlike our Nancy Campbell, Poet Laureate of the Canals, who actually chooses to live in a campervan/caravan next to but not on the river. Having just lived through a single day of Andy's stay in a narrowboat on the river (hi, Good Material!) I don't entirely understand Campbell's desire to move into such a situation, but as noted there's not really many other options awaiting a professional author with £750 or so in her bank account.
The funniest part of this book is how passionately I started defending it when the other attendees at the book club (to which I was, in fact, a new member) disliked it. I didn't particularly like Campbell--I found her lack of self-sufficiency rather appaling in a woman her age--but boy did I want to defend her right to be self-centered and self-absorbed and write an entire book about a handful of months she spent in a van in the midst of COVID. So what? If that premise doesn't work for you then you don't need to read it. Or if you do, because it's for a a book club and you like the other members, you can read it in the spirit it was written! I suppose it's a new year and I'm not looking for a run of negativity in this the year 2025.
Your enjoyment of this book is likely to come down to your patience with someone's extended diatribes down what could charitably be called Wikipedia rabbit holes, but well written and clearly brimming with curiosity. And as someone who has never met a fun fact or bit of context she didn't want to pepper into her everyday conversations, I found myself very simpatico with Campbell.
April 25, 2023
This is a book to take your time with to savour its lyrical words and soak up all its gems. It tackles serious subject matter in an honest and uplifting way as we learn to celebrate the small joys in life and to keep a calm head amidst the ever changing chaos.
We follow Nancy’s brave journey, through her own journal entries, as she navigates change, loss and life struggles. When home becomes a move back to basics, she finds beauty in the most difficult of times and faces the tough questions head on. Through Nancy’s fascinating stories, astute observations, and love of literature we are given insight into her deeply personal experiences which envelope us in the hope and strength demonstrated throughout. We see how healing is a unique journey for everyone and it’s okay to follow your own path.
This is an engaging read about looking inwards, letting go, moving on, and pushing forward during the most difficult of times. We rejoice as Nancy embraces new challenges and asserts her independence as she works through her emotions. We see the healing power from immersing oneself in nature and the environment all around as Nancy not only survives but flourishes in her new life.
The importance of self-care runs through the book and mental health is touched on as bad experiences stack up and become overwhelming. We see how adversity can be overcome in a positive way and the importance of resilience. Nancy has a beautiful way with words that draws us in and makes us feel as though we are witnessing it all alongside her as she really gets to know herself again.
Everyone needs a Sven in their life! He’s a true friend who offers help, support and connection without asking for anything in return. As Nancy searches for her happy place we can feel the community vibe as they take her under their wing as one of their own. The healing power of being part of a community and making those connections is self-evident through the chapters.
Thunderstone is thought-provoking, inspiring and philosophical – let the uplifting words and peaceful surroundings wash over you as you turn the pages.
With thanks to @crudites_, @eandtbooks, and @nancycampbelle for my gifted copy and place on the Tour.
We follow Nancy’s brave journey, through her own journal entries, as she navigates change, loss and life struggles. When home becomes a move back to basics, she finds beauty in the most difficult of times and faces the tough questions head on. Through Nancy’s fascinating stories, astute observations, and love of literature we are given insight into her deeply personal experiences which envelope us in the hope and strength demonstrated throughout. We see how healing is a unique journey for everyone and it’s okay to follow your own path.
This is an engaging read about looking inwards, letting go, moving on, and pushing forward during the most difficult of times. We rejoice as Nancy embraces new challenges and asserts her independence as she works through her emotions. We see the healing power from immersing oneself in nature and the environment all around as Nancy not only survives but flourishes in her new life.
The importance of self-care runs through the book and mental health is touched on as bad experiences stack up and become overwhelming. We see how adversity can be overcome in a positive way and the importance of resilience. Nancy has a beautiful way with words that draws us in and makes us feel as though we are witnessing it all alongside her as she really gets to know herself again.
Everyone needs a Sven in their life! He’s a true friend who offers help, support and connection without asking for anything in return. As Nancy searches for her happy place we can feel the community vibe as they take her under their wing as one of their own. The healing power of being part of a community and making those connections is self-evident through the chapters.
Thunderstone is thought-provoking, inspiring and philosophical – let the uplifting words and peaceful surroundings wash over you as you turn the pages.
With thanks to @crudites_, @eandtbooks, and @nancycampbelle for my gifted copy and place on the Tour.
April 25, 2023
A perfectly paced story of strength, resilience, self reliance and discovery sprinkled with some gorgeous community spirit.
Thunderstone takes place during the Covid pandemic as Nancy and Alice face a difficult lockdown together following Alice's recovery from a stroke.
Nancy captures the reality of Covid and how drought lockdowns could be, without going in to too much harrowing detail. Nancy really showed strength and love for Alice in deciding She needed to leave as it can't have been a decision to have taken lightly. The ex-couples maturity really shows and it was so heartwarming to see that they remain friends after their romantic relationship ends and are there for each other at times of greif or indeed Nancy's own illness later in the book.
When Nancy sets out on her own in the newly purchased, old caravan that she parks between woodland, train lines and the canal, Nancy portrays the full reality of a remote life in a small van. It's both cosy, picturesque, bustling (trainline works happening in the middle of the night!) and at times dangerous. Being an old van, Nancy almost suffers Carbon Monoxide poisoning!
Whilst perfectly equipped to deal with most things by herself, Nancy is occasionally helped out by kindly (if a little grumpy!) locals who fortunately also are at hand on times of need.
A cosy, easy to ready and with a sense of nostalgia, Thunderstone is a tender and joyful read that feels like talking to an old friend. I'm extremely grateful to Claire Maxwell and Nancy Campbell for my proof copy on exchange for an honest review.
Thunderstone takes place during the Covid pandemic as Nancy and Alice face a difficult lockdown together following Alice's recovery from a stroke.
Nancy captures the reality of Covid and how drought lockdowns could be, without going in to too much harrowing detail. Nancy really showed strength and love for Alice in deciding She needed to leave as it can't have been a decision to have taken lightly. The ex-couples maturity really shows and it was so heartwarming to see that they remain friends after their romantic relationship ends and are there for each other at times of greif or indeed Nancy's own illness later in the book.
When Nancy sets out on her own in the newly purchased, old caravan that she parks between woodland, train lines and the canal, Nancy portrays the full reality of a remote life in a small van. It's both cosy, picturesque, bustling (trainline works happening in the middle of the night!) and at times dangerous. Being an old van, Nancy almost suffers Carbon Monoxide poisoning!
Whilst perfectly equipped to deal with most things by herself, Nancy is occasionally helped out by kindly (if a little grumpy!) locals who fortunately also are at hand on times of need.
A cosy, easy to ready and with a sense of nostalgia, Thunderstone is a tender and joyful read that feels like talking to an old friend. I'm extremely grateful to Claire Maxwell and Nancy Campbell for my proof copy on exchange for an honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 27, 2023
A journal. Into the Wild of Wolvercote. A love letter to Oxford. An appreciation of the small things. A guide to living in a caravan. A tale of caring for others. A story of being cared for. An account of living alone and yet in a community of others. A beautifully written book about a summer spent living in a caravan by the Oxford canal.
I've spent the majority of my life living in Oxford and all the places I've lived in Oxford are a stones throw from the canal. I currently live less than a km from where this book is set. I loved to read about all these little places that I know and to see them through Nancy's eyes.
I recommend this to anyone who did enjoy Into the Wild, anyone with an interest in Oxford or a book about living a little closer to the edge of society.
I've spent the majority of my life living in Oxford and all the places I've lived in Oxford are a stones throw from the canal. I currently live less than a km from where this book is set. I loved to read about all these little places that I know and to see them through Nancy's eyes.
I recommend this to anyone who did enjoy Into the Wild, anyone with an interest in Oxford or a book about living a little closer to the edge of society.
August 10, 2022
This was a really heart felt memoir from Nancy Campbell but unfortunately I wasn't a fan of the execution. Nancy goes through some tough stuff in this book, a breakup and then having to care for her ex for a further year after she suffers a stroke, all while negotiating a lockdown. Then having to deal with her own health issues.
I think this book would work well with someone who likes poetic writing. I found the paragraphs often meandered into off topic subjects making the writing a little pretentious at times.
There were moments of inspiration throughout the book and I would recommend it to many people but it just didn't work for me.
I think this book would work well with someone who likes poetic writing. I found the paragraphs often meandered into off topic subjects making the writing a little pretentious at times.
There were moments of inspiration throughout the book and I would recommend it to many people but it just didn't work for me.
January 12, 2023
Thunderstone reads as searingly honest, beautifully written quasi diary spanning a transformative while in the author's life. The "narrative" unfolds intuitively and by association, which makes following in its footsteps so enriching and inspiring, as if on a leasurely stroll with an alert and expert guide, who sees so much and can make so many connections. In some ways Thunderstone is also about community and friendship during the pandemic and otherwise, and its unfolding leads to thoughts about chance and accident, decision making, uncertainty, wonder, going forward, and the question what is nature, what is natural, and maybe what is "our" place in it.
March 21, 2023
An engaging and entertaining book, with great descriptive writing and emotional charge.
The story of a slightly unorthodox period in the author's life with plenty of larger than life characters and setbacks, I actually felt I was in the caravan at times, so well does she get across her experiences.
I found this a curiously upbeat take on life and thoroughly enjoyed reading about her experiences.
The story of a slightly unorthodox period in the author's life with plenty of larger than life characters and setbacks, I actually felt I was in the caravan at times, so well does she get across her experiences.
I found this a curiously upbeat take on life and thoroughly enjoyed reading about her experiences.
March 18, 2023
How often do you finish a book and think 'that was way too short'? I desperately want to know what happened next!
This is a wonderful blend of all sorts of things, memoir, nature writing, travel writing, art criticism, and literary criticism.
It's brave too, Campbell does not just write about the parts of her year that make her look noble, we get it all and somehow love her more for it.
This is a wonderful blend of all sorts of things, memoir, nature writing, travel writing, art criticism, and literary criticism.
It's brave too, Campbell does not just write about the parts of her year that make her look noble, we get it all and somehow love her more for it.
December 29, 2024
Quirky book by a quirky author. Some of the nature writing is nice and the concept of living in a caravan is sweet. Unfortunately this is not a novel but just a journal of thoughts and daily routines. Set during covid it is quite depressing. I enjoyed the first 50 odd pages and then got bored with it as found it dull. Like I said there’s no story or if there is it’s a very slow burn.
June 21, 2025
Eloquent memoir by a writer who moves into a caravan after splitting from her partner.
The short diary entries make for an easy read and it's a book that's pleasant to dip in and out of. Campbell is a compelling and erudite observer but I also found this was the kind of book I could put down for weeks and have no real compulsion to pick back up.
The short diary entries make for an easy read and it's a book that's pleasant to dip in and out of. Campbell is a compelling and erudite observer but I also found this was the kind of book I could put down for weeks and have no real compulsion to pick back up.
December 29, 2023
Such a emotional and intimate journal across the space of a defining summer in the author's life. Thunderstone is a ode to celebrate the people, nature and places that helped Nancy.
A thought provoking example of embracing change bravely.
A thought provoking example of embracing change bravely.
March 14, 2024
I didn't like this at first but it gradually drew me in. The writer seems to be very well connected and I don't honestly see why she is living in a caravan (she also seems to be very innocent of practicalities like household wiring) but the writing is good., especially about nature.
June 22, 2023
A great story of love , resilience and community.
Demonstrates how to move forward even when fearful .
A wonderful read.
Demonstrates how to move forward even when fearful .
A wonderful read.
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