Photo by Brigitte Tohm
Remember when we referenced April showers? Well little did we know we’d be under rain clouds for most of the month of May. In this round up you’ll find the pages in which we took refuge as we awaited the sun’s eventual return.
The Light Through the Leaves
by Glendy Vanderahby
A tragic mistake made in a disturbingly relatable parenting moment leads to the separation of a mother and daughter. Guilt drives her into excommunication from the rest of her family and on a lonely journey of remorse, penance and eventually acceptance and healing. the story simultaneously follows the self-discovery of the sheltered young girl whose connection to nature and the wild echoes of the links with her mother in-spite of their separation. The story builds to a beautiful redemption and satisfyingly good ending to those of us who need a happy ending right now!
Nix’s Pick
Cat’s Eye
by Margaret Atwood
Cat’s Eye is a novel written in 1988 about a successful painter, Elaine Risley, who returns to her childhood home and to the memories of her past. The story alternates between recollections and stories from Elaine’s childhood in post-war Toronto and her present eccentricities and fears. The two timelines, and the two Elaines, are slowly pulled together until they form one cohesive story and person. If anyone knows how to write about women, it’s Margaret Atwood. Friendship, longing, betrayal, pain; friend, daughter, sister, lover and mother…Elaine Risley encompasses it all and yet battles with the enormousness of these feelings and roles in a tangled, imperfect and yet strangely familiar way.
Clara’s Pick
Adventures of a Young Naturalist
by Sir David Attenborough
Who doesn’t love David Attenborough? His documentaries made us fall in love with the natural world, and his wit, charm and gentle activism have cemented his legendary status for young and old.
In 1954, a young Attenborough was offered the chance to travel the world collecting animals for London Zoo. Filming his travels for the BBC’s Zoo Quest, he went to Guyana, Indonesia and Paraguay, a journey immortalised in Adventures of a Young Naturalist. It’s impossible to read this rollicking memoir without hearing Attenborough’s iconic rasp. Which only makes it all the more enjoyable.
Matt’s Pick
Born to be Mild
by Rob Temple
Rob Temple runs the social-media empire Very British Problems from the comfort of his own sofa, but what happens when the four walls of your living room become your world?
Everything goes wrong.
In this hilarious and life-affirming memoir, Rob sets out to reinvent himself as an intrepid traveller, a bee-keeper and yogi, all to become a little less Bear (Pooh) and a little more Bear (Grylls). Along the way there are good days and bad days, but with each failed adventure and small triumph, Rob discovers how the mild-mannered and anxious can still enjoy their own share of (gentle) adventure from time to time.
Valentina’s Pick
Why I Wake Early
by Mary Oliver
Mary Oliver feels like a constant companion on my bedside table. A friend I go to when I want to be inspired, reflective, or filled. Each poem is imbued with the extraordinary perceptions of a poet who considers the everyday in our lives and the natural world around us and finds a multitude of reasons to wake early.
Why do I wake early? Sometimes it’s for a run, sometimes for a quiet cup of coffee, and sometimes it’s for the words of Mary Oliver.
Tanya’s Pick
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