Blue Wolf Reviews

Tag: community

  • You Belong With Me

    You Belong With Me

    Without a doubt You Belong With Me from Beth Moran would have to be her best work to date as she explores the life on the small Ilse of Siskin, located somewhere in the Irish Sea, home to a very small population of people since 1730.

    They can hold a grudge for generations but reach out when the need arises, even if sometimes the help is reluctantly given.

    Bluebell ‘Blue’ Beddows has sent her entire thirty-three years of life on Siskin. Blue as she is known runs a small podcast about life on Siskin which has attracted a flowing of ‘blupies’ who religiously visit the Isle each summer to partake of the summer fun and festivities.

    Blue has also been engaged three times, and now has sworn off men for good, that is until she accidentally runs headlong into Jonathon White, a man sent to the island to investigate the possibility of a rare toad still being on the island and if it still is too be found, could be a big enough reason to stop the development of a large resort, very few on the Isle support.

    A second story unfolds, that of Sorrel Beddow, young, impressionable and determined to help the Griffith family who have lost their parents in a Ferry capsize, leaving young Calvin, mired in depression, to bring up is twin siblings.

    Sorrel defies the unwritten but firmly held social rules of Siskin to help Calvin, falling in love and realising that by eventually committing herself to Calvin, she will be ostracised from her parents and the community.

    As the two stories of love and loss are delicately spun together Blue and Jonathin discover they must dig deep into the Isle of Siskins history to be able to solve the problems of the present, which does not go according to plan, as some really don’t want the past to become a piece of the present at all.

    Beautifully written with wonderful depth of feeling You Belong With Me is charming, captivating, poignant and thoroughly entertaining.

  • The Maskeys

    The Maskeys

    Australian author Stuart Everly-Wilson’s classifies his second published book ‘The Maskeys’ as a ‘crimance’; with an evolving romance in the background, readers have many crimes both large and small to solve. Although this small-town noir centres around two main dysfunctional families, the Reynolds and the Maskeys, Rodney the weedy runt, who lives in a tent and known as ‘the weazel’ is the main protagonist.

    In the fictional Australian town Naples on far north coast of New South Wales, an incredible feud which had been festering and simmering away for many years between the two main families, suddenly came to a head. When her house was set alight, Gayle Reynolds felt certain that one of the Maskeys was the arsonist, who was responsible for the fire.

    Not only was patriarch George Maskey the major drug dealer of the town, but he had also heavily involved her missing son Duncan in his operation. Meanwhile Rodney’s business shrewdness and quick thinking has kept the ailing George’s undertaking viable.  

    Gayle is determined to have revenge. Full of spiteful vengeance, and hatred for the Maskeys, and quite out of character, she commits a most unlikely crime, which sets in train the series of events, which she had least expected.

    Although readers may initially find the large cast of mainly despicable and morally corrupt characters daunting, the author’s use of their backstories develops them into believable three-dimensional people who at times also undertake acts of kindness and humanity. While engrossed in the narrative, readers will empathize with the characters and at the same time come to understand why the characters do what they do.

    An enjoyable holiday read.

  • Coming Home to Starr’s Fall

    Coming Home to Starr’s Fall

    Coming Home to Starr’s Fall is a slow, but very comfortable read, perfect for a lazy day at home or on the beach when you want something to read that is somewhat romantic, with an easy to follow plot line and very few surprises.

    Laurie Ellis has left the city life behind in a quest to find somewhere she can call home. She has rented an empty store in the little town of Starr’s Fall where she hopes to set up her own business, that of Pet Store and Bakery; the bakery is for dog treats.

    She is filled with hope and anticipates finally beginning to consider her life is something other than one of loneliness. When her rental vehicle breaks down seven miles from the township she is rescued by Annie, a farmer in the area whose family have lived and farmed there for many generations.

    Arriving in the town she realises that it really is a sleepy little town with many of the business closed for some time, leaving, sad empty storefronts looking onto a very quiet main street. Unlocking the door to her new home is filled with hope and emotion.

    Her little dog Max, never very brave, escapes to the bookstore over the road, somehow coming face to face with one very snooty Persian cat. In an attempt to rescue Max, the very grumpy but very good looking owner Joshua Reilly, is left looking at an even bigger mess in his store, as the cat topples over several stacks of books; not the best way to get to know your neighbour, thinks Laurie!

    Laurie is also holding a secret and she has chosen to come to Starr’s Fall for more than one reason, but will she be able to discover that she craves to know or will it remain forever a mystery?

    Kate Hewitt has commenced a new series with this lovely little town as the centre of what will be a series of ‘coming home’, beginning again and community which will be delightful and most enjoyable.

  • Amity: Stories from the Heartland

    Amity: Stories from the Heartland

    With a gentle sense of humour J. Brent Bill takes us back to a time when life was so much less complicated than it is today while visiting the little moments that make people special in Amity: stories from the Heartland.

    A delightful beginning The trip to Amity, is a situation so many will recognise as familiar, or perhaps not so familiar. Waiting for the husband or wife to hurry up, to stop always running late. Anger getting the better of judgement, tension high once the vehicle gets into motion. Words spoken the atmosphere thick. Arriving at their destination late, he gathers his robes, stoles and notes heading into the Church; small congregation he thinks. That is until he discovers he is in the wrong church!

    Places to go is a very quirky tale of the desire to drive, to have the freedom to go whenever she wanted to, to shop wherever she felt like it without having someone take her. Mrs Henry so desperately wanted to drive and was determined not to let anything stop her, until that fateful day when she decided she could do it, which did not work out at all as she expected.

    A Christmas Carol singing outing takes a rather interesting turn when a young singer asks why the ladies are all having babies if they are not married which somehow, as these questions are wont to do, leads the singers down a rather uncomfortable pathway into a carol service that would probably never viewed in the same light again.

    The tables are turned with the last two stories which see Mrs Henry return after the death of her husband. She is now a woman who now has to make her own decisions, the family grown and settled, she with the freedom to fly a little, to be able to go where she wants to go and in the manner, you guessed it, she chooses to travel.

    In the final story in this quirky and entertaining collection, the other side of the trip to Amity is laid bare in Another Trip to Amity in which so many varied thoughts go through the mind of the Pastor’s wife on their mad dash to get to the service on time.

    Brent Bill is a Quaker Minister who has always enjoyed telling tales. Amity; stories from the Heartland is his first publication of some of the many stories he has told over the years. His light touch, lovely sense of people and their wonderfully quirky style of managing to travel life’s often expected pathway, creates a lovely heart-warming collection.

  • Leaf-light

    Leaf-light

    Leaf-light is an enormous story with many characters, people, places, and messages. It is presented in a picture book format which allows ease of reading and lends itself to the colourful presentation. The story is set in Djaara Country which is situated around the area in Bendigo, Victoria.

    In the opening pages we see children in the bush. There is a small amount of dialogue, and the story tells us that it is Spring. The double page spreads change between cartoon style pictures and full-page spreads.

    There are stories about children interacting and having fun with a plank of wood, and the tiny illustrations show kangaroos, birds, lizards, wombats, and possums. The children are very creative making the plank into a diving board, see-saw and a perch in a tree. Their animal friends are very helpful and friendly.

    An emu egg is found by the families and hatched in an incubator. Everyone has a lot of fun watching the chick hatch, walk and then learn to run. The children collect all kinds of food for the chick to try. They learn not to get too fond of him as he needs to become independent in the bush.

    There are many wonderful stories in the pages, and much love and caring for animals and friends. Trace Balla has attempted to include many animals and birds from the area, and many of the adopted kangaroos and wombats have names. She has also included words in Djaara language with the permission of the elders.

    Leaf-light is a feast of stories, characters, lifestyles and animals. It is necessary to pore over each page then to later go back and look at it again. It is a stunning tribute to all those who care for others..

  • Paperbark Hill

    Paperbark Hill

    The fourth and final tale in the lives of the effervescent McIntyre family draws to a close with Paperbark Hill from much loved author Maya Linnell.

    Diana McIntyre is slowly accepting that her beloved husband Pete has passed and she now has to build a life for herself and her four boys, based around and in her commercial flower acreage. Darling Dahlia’s had given her a purpose in the dark days after Pete’s death, as she slowly began to expand her gardens of mixed cutting flowers and roses, to encompass the glorious riot of colourful dahlia’s.

    Ned Gardiner is a single father of two children, a locum pharmacist and man on the move, traveling around Australia in his beloved van Stan the van. He is about to move on to his new contract, when he gets a phone call from his brother asking him to get to Victoria as quickly as possible, as their father has had an accident and the prognosis is not good.

    When Diana can’t raise her neighbour, friend and mentor, Colin she goes over to his property armed with a basket of fresh scones, only to find Colin’s son Ned and children Willow and Doug there. Ned breaks the news to her Colin has passed after falling from the roof trying to re-sheet it during gale force winds.

    Ned’s return to the farm is one not filled with joy as the memories held there are anything but pleasant, but as his brother ‘Jonno’ has to leave immediately for a contract in the Antarctic, he realises he is to be the one to sort out Colin’s affairs; he needs to stay.

    As the days’ pass, Diana hears back from gardening guru Sadie Woodford’s PR agency who are excited to use her Darling Dahlia’s as a venue to launch her new book, something Diana can hardly believe is real.  But the work that has to be done is somewhat overwhelming and without her friend Colin to help and encourage, she is beginning to doubt she can get the gardens ready in time.

    In this carefully crafted rural romance Maya Linnell deals with the many complexities that make up family life with real life characters who grace the pages and situations to which we can all relate.

    There is Diana’s father-in- law Reg, a ‘mansplainer’ from way back, Maeve a woman who is cautious with the world, Ned, not looking to put down roots, but slowly discovering he is doing so, Cameron, a teen growing up with all the hormonal emotions that go with teen years and a gently developing romance that leaves both Ned and Diana wondering if it is the right thing to be doing.

    As the McIntyre family once again come to the rescue when things go horribly wrong and the community rallies to support Diana, the pages draw to a close a delightful sojourn with a family who have touched the hearts and minds of readers though laughter, tragedy and fun as each of the sisters have faced their challenges and rebuilt their lives.

    Paperbark Hill is an absolute gem and the perfect finale, although the McIntyre family will definitely be missed from the pages of Australian country romance fiction.

  • Magpie’s Bend

    Magpie’s Bend

    Life can at times hurl some tough stuff at you and the last thing Lara McIntyre wants is a nosy journalist, no matter how interesting he looks, poking around in her life. Toby Paxton, the one man team at the local newspaper and new to the town,  just happens to be in the right place to lend a hand when the local store owner Mrs Beggs falls from the ladder in the store.

    Unable to resist snapping a picture of a slender woman helping Mrs Beggs in a no nonsense manner, he does and when Lara turns on him, asking him to get rid of what he is convinced is an award winning picture, he is not to happy, but is certainly not going to take on one angry young woman.

    It seems inevitable the store and will need to either close or be put up for sale, which creates an uproar in the small community of Bridgefield, as the residents totally believe they cannot manage without the centre of their community, the local store, let alone the delicious homemade pies the store is renowned for producing.

    Lara, the district nurse and Toby the award winning journalist unite in their efforts to help the community raise sufficient funds to purchase the store and in doing so, Lara begins to feel that perhaps there might be more to life than living alone, embittered and single. Can Lara overcome her distrust of men and can Toby, odd socks and all be the one to bring new love and hope into her life once again.

    Magpie’s Bend carries on the family story of the McIntyre girls as they return us to the comfortable setting of rural Australia where anything can happen, especially when it is backed with endless community spirit.

    Comfortable and so very much like returning home to help out, Maya Linnell has once again transported readers right into the heart of a family faced with their own personal issues, but making time to lend a helping hand, capturing the very essence of country living in Magpies Ben.,

  • The Good Teacher

    The Good Teacher

    The Good Teacher, the second book from acclaimed story teller Petronella McGovern sets the stage for another cliff hanger of a mystery as she takes the vulnerability and kindness of humans and their sense of community to weave an addictive read, which is taught, tight and terrific.

    Allison’s marriage of more than twenty four  years is over; her husband moving in with a much younger woman leaving Allison grieving, facing challenges she never ever thought she would have to and struggling to rebuild her life. Her teenage son Felix is living between the two homes which causes her considerable distress.

    It is not until Luke, a widower and his young daughter arrive in town, with Gracie being enrolled in Allison’s class at the beginning of the new term, life appears to be settling into a more normal routine.  Gracie has cancer and when she is offered a chance to go to America the community, led by Allison and Maz, a friend of Luke’s made through the local gym, begins a fundraising venture to send Gracie to America.

    But all is not as it seems as Allison is accused of continually stalking her former husband and when the Police keep on calling on her about this she begins to wonder what is happening. Perhaps she is still doing this which just adds to the confusion her life has suddenly become.

    Gracie and Luke eventually leave for America but all too soon it becomes apparent that something is not right, but what. It is not until Allison takes a trip to America to be supportive she begins to realise something is definitely not right and so the plot, set by McGovern, very slowly comes to the first sharp and completely unexpected turning point.

    As in her previous novel Six Minutes, McGovern takes the reader to the pinnacle before dropping them into free-fall as what they thought was going to happen next, simply does not and the next page must be turned.

    In a nutshell, The Good Teacher is a riveting read, a great book and terrific story based on kindness, community and the redefinition of what truly makes up family!

  • The Food Sharing Revolution: How Start-Ups, Pop-Ups, and Co-Ops are Changing the Way We Eat, 2nd Edition

    The Food Sharing Revolution: How Start-Ups, Pop-Ups, and Co-Ops are Changing the Way We Eat, 2nd Edition

    The changing face of food production over the years, in the race to produce more and more food to feed an ever-growing world population, has seen what was once historically a family undertaking turn into giant conglomerates, pressurising the earth to produce more and more while squeezing the small farmer out of business.

    Gone are the days when you owned your own land, your own plant and equipment and could produce from a holding a good and substantial living year after year, climate permitting. In the space this change left behind, there has begun to emerge a very different take on small hold farming, which does allow a good income to be created and from that perspective, the philosophy has had a flow on to small business across a broad spectrum.

    In The Food Sharing Revolution Michael Carolan has shown what is slowly emerging as the modern face of successful farming, returning control to the small hold farmers, showing how by adopting a slightly different strategy towards the growing, marketing and most importantly sharing, there is and has been a positive change.

    Although the case studies and legal aspects of food production are based on America, the over reaching facts can be transplanted to just about anywhere in the world, which makes this an ideal read for people who are investigating some very workable options to either growing and marketing their produce, going into a small business or similar. Carolan investigates that while the concept of sharing in not new, he looks at it as a modern-day alternative to conglomerates, one with very real benefits, not just from a financial perspective but also a community benefit.

    The many examples shared, from the Hog Farmer, who while owning all around him was steadily losing money, to the restaurateur Faye, slowly working her way into almost unrepayable debt, Noelle the labour attorney who gave up corporate life to work in the Sharing economy and Dorothy who opened her bakery through a wonderful crowd funding operation all show what can be achieved with the Sharing philosophy.

    All the case studies harness the most important factor of success, Community: the sharing, caring and supportive people who embrace change and by doing so, make a success out of their enterprises, large and small. The Food Sharing Revolution is a based-on sharing: sharing of plant, equipment, ideas and funding to achieve a common goal, that of business success.

    Throughout the chapters the thread is consistent that regardless of the complex web of laws around food production, particularly in the USA where major corporations rule the legal world, the way through it is to return to a more traditional way of progress, that based in community and collaboration.

    Collaboration is the new catch phrase; creating repayable crowd funding through a variety of non-traditional and realistic sources, all contribute to a real sharing economy and the massive benefits that will pay off in lifestyle, the food produced, shared, better relationships within the industry and community, are presented as the way forward, the pathway to future economic and business success.

    The food Sharing revolution is packed full with essential information looking as so many aspects of food production it makes essential reading for anyone interested in alternate and community-based living.

    Inspirational. A win wine concept that benefits everyone from the bottom up!.

  • The Secrets We Keep

    The Secrets We Keep

    Set in the town of Kalgoorlie, this is a story about boundaries, those we can see on a map, and those that live in our hearts. As a Social Worker, Aimee begins to learn that her new job in this Western Australian mining town will be a challenge. The community is small, and she is living and socialising with the very people she is helping. The new recruit, has her own secrets, which lay buried in her past, and are hinted at, but only slowly revealed.

    Many characters, both fascinating and friendly, are introduced to Aimee, as she begins her job. Lori, is the daughter of an Italian migrant, who came to Kalgoorlie, and made a life for himself and his family. She is bubbly, energetic, and caring. She also has befriended one of the old women of the town, Aggie. Aggie can read tea leaves, but more than that, she can see the future, and can communicate and foretell many things that will happen. Lori also has a gift, and chooses to learn how to use it for the good.

    Kerry is another character we meet. Her much adored husband is terminally ill with lung cancer. He is dying at a very young age, and as most people believe, the underground mining is often seen as a contributing factor. It is Kerry, who in her distress, begins to make a fuss about the apalling smell from the smoke stacks, smells that leave the school children coughing, with irritated eyes, when on the school oval. Her fuss gets picked up, and due to lack of interest by the Mayor, a protest rally is held. She is invited to apply for a job on the council, and hopes to make a difference.

    There is a dedication of the Social Workers, and the team who care for the venerable people in the community, that is warming.  In the mix of unemployment, high rentals, and isolation, there are many people who have lost out. Those who have lost their land, their families, and any customs and laws they may have lived by in the past, are the greatest sufferers. When they are told to move to another settlement, Aimee is suspicious, and contacts her father, a politician. Sure enough, a Japanese mining magnate wants to look at the uranium deposits on their land.

    This is a really well researched and well rounded story. It covers aspects of personal lives and struggles, as well as looking at the bigger picture. We come to smile at Lori, with her exuberance and loving Italian family, and Aggie, who has taken care of her neighbour for many years, as he pops in each day for a cuppa, and to read the paper. Kerry has an enormous struggle ahead of her when her husband dies, but her little girl Amber will be her strength.

    The characters are wonderfully rounded, and real. The added beauty of this story is the descriptions of Kalgoorlie. Lori likes to go to the little hill out of town to watch the sun rise, and the sense of the surrounding landscapes is quite magical. The theme that “Good must come from bad,” is followed throughout the story, and gives it a heart.