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alagf's review against another edition
4.5
Loved it. Landscape, Tassie, motherhood, what’s not to like
archytas's review
reflective
4.25
"We live between the domestic and the wild, linked by nature and, it seems, either protecting it, trading with it, or using it for our own means. It’s a constant seesaw of compromise. This life for that. This lamb raised for wool, that one for meat. This eagle trapped by us, in the hope it will survive. That ewe attacked by an eagle, unable to be saved. I think of sheep tracks across an open paddock; they appear as an invitation, a random path, but they never are. And I think of my feet making new tracks, crisscrossing this place. Perhaps my movements are likewise more intentional than I can see, and if I keep myself open, keep watching, I’ll make my peace with the choices I’ve made."
Lots of people told me I would love this, and having read it, I can see why. It is a beautiful piece of nature writing. The description of birds alone makes the spirit soar with them. Mackeller structures the book around the seasonal rhythm of life of the farm and ties the natural cycle into a cycle of motherhood. Death is also ever present in the narrative. Mackeller has a bracing yet empathetic voice when describing the constant struggle to keep sheep alive and to keep the ewes on task as mothers. Mackeller captures both the relentlessness and the sheer joy of life.
Mackeller acknowledges that for those of us living on stolen land, a sense of place must, by necessity, be complicated. On the whole, however, she does not deal with the complexities of farming on a landscape taken through war. This may have dispelled my discomfort or at least acknowledged it. Mackeller describes her childhood terrain as "not mine to love," and yet, mine and love are not the same things. This book is beautifully saturated with weary love, one of its greatest strengths.
Lots of people told me I would love this, and having read it, I can see why. It is a beautiful piece of nature writing. The description of birds alone makes the spirit soar with them. Mackeller structures the book around the seasonal rhythm of life of the farm and ties the natural cycle into a cycle of motherhood. Death is also ever present in the narrative. Mackeller has a bracing yet empathetic voice when describing the constant struggle to keep sheep alive and to keep the ewes on task as mothers. Mackeller captures both the relentlessness and the sheer joy of life.
Mackeller acknowledges that for those of us living on stolen land, a sense of place must, by necessity, be complicated. On the whole, however, she does not deal with the complexities of farming on a landscape taken through war. This may have dispelled my discomfort or at least acknowledged it. Mackeller describes her childhood terrain as "not mine to love," and yet, mine and love are not the same things. This book is beautifully saturated with weary love, one of its greatest strengths.
best_lemon's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
3.5
stewart_monckton's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
5.0
Utterly wonderful book. Although the 'catch line' of the title refers to motherhood - I would say this book would have much to say to all parents as they watch their children grow away from them, and the emotional reaction and thoughts that this change creates in parents. Its also about Tasmania, sheep and eagles. Very highly recommend. SM
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