Judy A: Dune by Frank Herbert
This book was published 57 years ago and remains the world’s best selling science fiction book. It’s a sweeping, epic saga of political, religious and familial intrigue and its Judy’s favourite book of all time.
The plot of Dune is almost wholly set on the desert planet of Arrakis (also referred to as Dune), an arid wasteland where water is so scarce that men must wear stillsuits which recycle human moisture for further consumption. The source of the galaxy’s interest in the planet is Melange, a spice which bestows upon one longevity and prescient powers. Everything on the planet is permeated with the spice, the air, the sand, the food. Everybody on the planet is hopelessly addicted to the spice, their only hope for survival being their continued intake of the spice.
The first third of the book is where Part 1 of the latest Dune movie ends. Part 2 is being released at the end of the year.
Pat: Two Steps Forward by Anne Buist and Graeme Simion
Two very different characters meet on the Camino, a 2000 kilometre walk from France to Santiago in Spain. Zoe is an artist from California who is struggling to come to terms with the death of her husband. Martin is an engineer from Yorkshire who has been through a messy divorce. For both it is a spiritual and physical journey. The book is a mature and romantic comedy.
Also read by Pat:The Giver of Stars by Jo Jo Moyess
Based on the true story of 5 women, living in the mountains of Kentucky during the Depression. They became travelling librarians, delivering books on horseback, to people in the mountains. Heart-warming.
Tam: The Light Between the Oceans by M L Stedman
A lighthouse keeper and his wife, living on an isolated island, face a mountainous moral dilemma when they find a baby and a dead man in a boat washed ashore. Keeping the baby will affect their lives and that of others.
Julia: Blue Mountains in New South Wales
Information in the text covered topics such as Climate, Etymology, Geography, Aboriginal Inhabitants and Colonial History.
Bev: Two at Daly Waters by Elisabeth George (published in 1946)
The book is a biography of an English woman who lived in outback Northern Territory in the 1930s and 40s. Daly Waters is 400 miles south of Darwin on the track to Alice Springs.
The young couple arrive in Daly Waters to open a store but first they had to build their house. They lived among the local aboriginals who hadn’t seen many white people before.
The book is the story of their survival, not just the harsh environment, but the changing seasons and the loneliness and isolation. As they lived in the area for many years, the book becomes an historical account of the changes in the outback.
Prue: Australia’s Great Western Deserts. The Land - The People - The Explorers by Simon Nevill
This large format hardback book full of many stunning photographs was published by National Geographic. Each of the 6 deserts are featured as well as information about their geographic features, desert communities, plant life, historical expeditions and the desert people.
The author has spent much of his life photographing the Australian Western Desert region preferring to travel alone. “Solitude is his goal”.
Prue thoroughly enjoyed all aspects of this magnificent book.
Rosemary S: Desert Flower by Waris Dirie
The book recounts the harrowing life of the author who was born in Somalia, one of 12 children and from a family of camel herders. After suffering unspeakable abuses as a child, she runs away to Mogadishu and eventually gets to London. Her life changes dramatically when she is discovered by a photographer and quickly becomes an international model. She uses her position to speak out about female circumcision and for the rest of her life, she continues this humanitarian work and advocate for women’s rights.
This memoir is fast paced, easy to read and explores the vast cultural differences between a Western international supermodel and a Somali desert nomad.
Judy J: Slow Journey South - Walking to Africa – a year in footsteps by Paula Constant
Paula and her husband are living the idyllic life in Broome, waiting to decide on the next big journey. Paula has the desire to cross the Sahara Desert. Various ideas are discarded as impossible or too expensive. Eventually deciding on completing the journey with camels, there are many side stories which lead up to their dream.
These stories, include a trial run with camels in Morocco, living in London, walking across France and Spain and into Morocco to the edge of the Sahara Desert. Eventually Paula completes this momentous feat, but much of this is told in the second book called Sahara!
Kris: Into Thin Air (a personal account of the Mt. Everest disaster) by Jon Krakauer
The author is a journalist and part-time climber. The opportunity arose to climb Everest with a guided group and to write an article for a magazine. This excited him. The story would be about the increasing commercialism on the mountain.
The dangers and excitement of climbing are graphically explained with Kris describing the book as ‘very difficult to put down’. Unfortunately, the commercialization of the mountain has led to many deaths including the day when the author eventually reached the summit. One must wonder why people sign themselves up for this kind of challenge. The book had a great impact on Kris.
Pamela: Taxi to Tobruk by René Harvard
In 1942 English and French soldiers were assigned to Rommel troops with a mission of crossing 500 miles of enemy patrolled desert to blow up Rommel's petrol dumps in Tobruk.
Led by a British officer, they set off in five Dodge trucks. The mission is accomplished, but casualties are heavy. On the return trip four of the Frenchmen must abandon their crippled truck in the desert.
They succeed in capturing a patrolling German half-track, with its sole surviving occupant - a German captain. But the four Frenchmen must now depend on the German's superior knowledge of the desert for them to survive. They begin act as people rather than soldiers.
The characters are very well drawn, the story is short but exciting and well written. The title is sarcastic as it is anything but a taxi ride.
Val: The Third Pole by Mark Synnott
The title refers to Mt Everest. The British had been beaten to the North and South Poles and so for prestige’s sake, needed to be first to climb Mt Everest.
In 1924 George Mallory and Sandy Irvine, 2 experienced climbers were chosen to climb the southern side dealing with the Chinese Tibetan Association. They were last seen 2000 feet shy of the summit. Mannery’s body was found in 1999 but Irvine has never been found.
In 2019 the author decided to try to find out what had happened. He summited but was disappointed that he didn’t find the body or prove various theories about what had happened to them.
Val described it as a very interesting book, particularly how many aspects of climbing have changed, especially now that it is so commercialized.
Jocelyn: The Piano Tuner by Daniel Mason
Jocelyn loved this book which has recently been republished as well as been made into a film and opera!
Set in 1886 where the mountains and jungles of Burma are a huge character of their own.
A peaceful piano tuner in London is asked to go to Burma to tune a grand piano belonging to the Military Doctor there. This is necessary as he seems to be the only officer capable of making peace with the princes of the Shan States of Upper Burma.
A richly sensuous story of adventure, discovery and the way we confront our most deeply held fears and desires.
Jocelyn, ‘the mountains and jungles of Burma are wonderful’.
Rosemary: Tracks by Robyn Davidson
Rosemary thought that most would be familiar with the story of the young woman’s odyssey through the deserts of Australia, with only her dog and four camels.
There has been recent interest in the story with a movie and the 40th anniversary of the trek. Not only was Robyn Davidson an early feminist but she had also lived with Salman Rushdie.
Rosemary thoroughly recommended the book.
Joan: Seven Pillars of Wisdom by Thomas Edward Lawrance
Published in 1926, Seven Pillars of Wisdom is the autobiographical account of the experiences of British Army Colonel T. E. Lawrence while serving as a military advisor to Bedouin forces during the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire of 1916 to 1918.
The young Englishman, more interested in archaeology, enlisted in the army. He spoke Arabic, was a crack shot and horseman. He became a liaison officer with the Arabs and taught the Bedouin Army hit and run tactics.
The book is a war diary, travelogue, history and a story of immersion.
Joan described it as an amazing book, difficult in parts but well worth persevering with the 700 pages.
Also read by Joan: Desert Queen: The Extraordinary Life of Gertrude Bell
Turning away from the privileged world of the "eminent Victorians," Gertrude Bell (1868—1926) explored, mapped, and excavated the world of the Arabs.
Jo: Australia’s Mountain and Rock Formation by Frank Gibson
This fascinating book described how most of Australia’s mountains were formed.
For example, Mt Kosciusko is 2228 metres above sea level, and part of the Great Dividing Range. It was formed by geologic uplift when the tectonic plates of the Earth's crust converge together, causing the crust to move upward to form a mountain or mountain range. This would have begun millions of years ago.
Diann: Snowy Mountains Daughter by Alissa Callen
This book is a warm Australian rural romance set in the Snowy Mountains.
Diann loved the story and enjoyed it on many levels. The ups and downs of the main characters added interest as did a dog named Bundy.
Diann’s comment was that it’s a good read and the country characters seemed real.
Also read by Diann: Belle of the Desert by Alan Gold
A grand, fictional, historic novel about one of the most influential women of the 20th century, Gertrude Margaret Lowthian Bell (1868-1926)
Connie: Climbing Day by Dan Richards
This is the biography of the author’s great-great-aunt, Dorothy Pilley, one of the first climbers in Great Britain. With her husband I.A. Richards she had published her memoir in 1935. When the author discovers this, he begins to travel and climb in Europe using the book as a guide. His book becomes a biography of this pioneering mountaineer.
Connie says she didn’t really enjoy it and it made her wonder why people climb mountains.
Ed: Call of the Outback: The Remarkable Story of Ernestine Hill, Nomad, Adventurer and Trailblazer by Marianne van Velzen
Throughout the 1930s Ernestine’s hugely popular stories about Australia’s remotest regions appeared in newspapers and journals around the country.
She travelled by truck, camels and boats and lived a very colourful life.
Unfortunately, there was not much mention of deserts.
March: This month we will be reading Canadian authors.
No comments:
Post a Comment