C W Lovatt

Yuri and the Pig is the story of an ideological farmer who leaves his sheltered life in a mountain village to embark on an epic journey to the Capital with his pig. When confronted by the horror and insanity of war, Yuri is determined to remain detached, yet struggles to do so as atrocities multiply at every turn. As he ventures further into the war zone, he and his pig are drawn into the conflict, and he is forced to question the values and convictions he has held his whole life.
This is a well-written, thought-provoking, page-turning hero’s adventure, full of action and camaraderie, with a moral at its heart, as the author’s rallying dedication puts it: for those who are oppressed, never lose hope.… (mehr)

If you ask me, it's daymn inconsiderate of C.W. Lovatt not to provide a roll of paper towels with his books in order that his humble readers might mop up the mess of tears from laughter *and* sorrow. And therefore, I can only give him five measly stars instead of the ten I actually see. Ack, I'm a snotty mess, I hope he's happy!

Having survived Balaclava, Charlie Smithers and his master, Lord Brampton, hie off to see the world. Arriving in Africa, they go on the hunt. His lordship hopes to break the family curse and actually shoot something without maiming himself in the process. Smithers just wants to serve and survive.

"It had been I who had been the first to see what no other white man had seen! It had been I who had acquired languages as alien to our own as would be that of the Man in the Moon to one of his bloody lordship's bloody fox hounds! It had been I who had first ventured out onto the African steppe, been chased by rhinos and crocodiles, survived falls from dizzying heights, and fought untold desperate battles with nothing more than a battered old rifle and two broken ankles...."

Charlie is saved from being crocodile nuncheon by Musa Ole Saitoti and *his* hunting party. And now Chief Musa would like Smithers to be God, just until Musa gets all of a rival's cattle. Stoned, in agony from the pain and faint tickles of lust for Loiyan, the young woman healing him, he agrees. Upon waking from feverish dreams, life goes from horror to hosanna in a trial that made me laugh myself off my chair, literally.

"I was so surprised I almost soiled my breeches. And if you'll recall, it had already been a trying day, so I should think that's saying a lot.... But, I suppose I'm something of a philosophical fellow when I can see there's nothing else for it."

After a showdown with the son of a competitor, Musa and Loiyan decide Charlie must flee before he is proven not a God or Demon. Finding himself on the back of The Angry One, accompanied by a crone, two of Musa's brothers, and Loiyan, he curses the time he's spent being carried around in god-like indolence. It's not easy being a demon on the run, that's for sure and certain; for of course the villainous upstart sends a war party after him. From here, the laughter is more strained, at times nervously forced to alleviate the intensity of the narrative.

Before he fully grasps the danger, they are a "tribe of one man and one woman, doomed to wander and hide ourselves away from those who would destroy us." But Charlie is inspired by Loiyan's indomitable spirit: "Lost we might be, but for the first time we were also free." But just as they embrace freedom, they're forced to confront the war party and fight for their survival. Barely making their escape in a stolen canoe the tribe of two, heads north; hopeful, though subdued. Stumbling over Arab slavers burning and raiding a village, Charlie is able to do nothing but observe the horror. Sickened and terrified for Loiyan, they resume their journey. "Anyway, so endeth my sermon. It can be a bloody awful world sometimes."

There is no way to synopsis the rest of the story without giving too many spoilers and thereby cheating the reader of laughter, surprise, shock, awe, fear, rage and yes, reaching for the roll of paper towels. I know this because I tried for three hours last night; finally falling into my bed resigned to failure. Mr. Lovatt's style of writing is, as I discovered by reading his second book before the first, as indomitable as the characters he creates. I'm torn between demanding my children read them both and the desire to shelter them just an hour or week longer. They're old enough - well most of them - but the thing about Mr. Lovatt's prose is once read, you cannot forget; do not want to forget.

His characters are so exactly drawn, so intrinsically real, that you look up and wonder where they are, what happened to the African jungle?! He is not afraid or ashamed to speak with the voice of a 19th century man, using the brisk honesty and hopeful arrogance of an empirical voice, but his insight is woven in from this century. There are many offenses and atrocities committed in this book, but no offense to the reader is willfully made. The heart of Charlie Smithers is never in doubt; you know he is a man of conscious and care. Despite his station in life, this is a man that uses every opportunity to reach beyond the hum drum thoughts expected of him. That Charlie carries those thoughts with composed dignity is the final, perfect, salute to his adventure.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review (but no paper towels)… (mehr)

“Louisbourg had fallen at last, and now it was time for the living to take stock.”

This is the end before the beginning, literally, but that is the way of historical fiction and the summation of this wonderful book. I’m no longer sure what I expected when I read the synopsis, a combination of Hornblower on land and African Queen is probably close enough. With all due respect to Mr. Forester, whom I adore, this book far surpassed my expectations, and then some. Josiah Stubb is a young man as determined to take back his life as the British forces were to take Louisbourg and thereby open the way inland. A character that should be as well known as Hornblower or Skywalker, though he’d rather not be, I’m sure; his story is as compelling as both combined.

In this first person narrative, we are granted the status of confidant, not condescended to with the ramblings of an old man looking back through the cataract vision of time and distance. A vibrant recollection of maturing beyond the requirements of being an adult to the acceptance of just what the heck that means is the privilege we are gifted. Yet, even with Josiah’s matter of fact tones illuminating the events, it is not always easy to bear the truth of battle and siege, military or personal. I struggled with understanding, compassion, forgiveness, and anger, only partially comforted by the fact Josiah did so as well.

Do not expect a dry fictionalized tale of battle preparations with a bit of personal curiosity tossed in to keep the lay person from dozing off; it is quite the opposite. Mr. Lovatt’s pacing was so utterly perfect, I was never overwhelmed, only obliged to read on. There is exactly the right amount of description to enlighten without the perilous yawns of information dump regarding life as an enlisted man taking the King’s shilling. If you don’t know what a mitre is, you’ll figure it out; if you’ve never considered the difference between luck and skill - you’ll figure that out too. I actually found myself grateful for the transition from the personal to the preparation for siege and the skirmishes between; though it began the other way and then, just as I felt impatience itching at me, the transition once again kept me enthralled.

As to the personal battles … this is not for the squeamish or those easily offended by the harsh realities of survival in the Colonies of the 1750s. Josiah began life in the gutter; he didn’t climb out easily or without cost. Yet there’s no maudlin self-pity or righteous rage, we’re spared that because Josiah refuses to dwell in either place. The admiration we would extend to him in this age was by no stretch available to him then. The narrow tracks he could walk were never going to be smooth but his heart was in it, as well as his head.

I swear I haven’t cried over a book in years and years but this one required a paper towel and time to compose myself, twice! I still feel as if I’ll need to re-read it two or three times to catch most of what is there. To me, that is the difference between a really good book you re-read when you’re in the mood and a fantastic book that impacts your life, forever.

Josiah Stubb is a fantastic book.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.… (mehr)