Valerie Poore

Well...I'm disappointed in this travelogue, I must say. I get that it's about buying a boat, fixing up a boat, and then traveling through canals from the Netherlands, through Belgium, and into France. I realize this involves a lot of passage through locks and tying the boat up for the night.

Unfortunately, that's pretty much ALL this book talks about. They sometimes go to restaurants but not once do we find out what they ordered to eat. They read books every night, but we don't know any of the book titles or what they thought about the books they read. Not much is shared about conversations had with each other or their friends.

You know good and well they had some major blow ups on this journey but we don't hear about it.

Yah, no. This book is way too technical for me and not enough personal.… (mehr)

This is without a doubt one of my favourite books - it is a real charmer, and I loved it.

There is a whole host of truly wonderful characters and supporting characters that helped shape this story and paint it in bright multi-coloured layers, and they all had me laughing out loud at their antics.

Maisie, our heroine, armed with a hard-earned university degree decides to rather try her hand at farming instead, and sets out to do so with hilarious consequences. Her eccentric mother, who lives in a world of her own thinks nothing of wearing her ancient wedding dress to help mend fences on the farm or to wear her moth eaten cocktail dresses or ball gowns around the house. I adored her.

Maisie’s photographer boyfriend started off as quite a bland character, but he is proof that if you hang around people who are eccentric, or even just slightly eccentric, it may just rub off on you. He is as clueless as Maisie is about farming and doesn’t show much interest, but between the two of them they came up with the most bizarre of all schemes involving runaway sheep. So funny :)

What is a farm without animals? This farm had the best animals ever. There is Emily, the ewe, who was constantly scheming and leading everyone else astray, to Wellington the charming little ram ......... who rammed, and Miss Gee, the goose who terrorises everyone – there was enough craziness on this farm to keep you entertained forever.

This was an excellent read, and is one of those books that will stay with me for a very long time. Great characters and great story. I loved it.… (mehr)

I loved this book. It was a lot of fun, but it was also very interesting to read about life on a barge, and what it takes to turn a historical working barge into a comfortable home.

It must have been incredibly daunting as a single woman living in a foreign country to go out and buy a barge. Not just any barge, but a historical barge that needed a lot of work, and a lot of money. Add to this the fact that she would be doing all the work herself, and the fact that she was still learning the language. Daunting, yes I am sure it was, but for me the reader, it had its very funny moments, as well as its wow moments.

Living on the water is certainly not for everyone, simply because of the ‘hardships’ associated with it. But, after reading this book the hardships seem to pale in comparison to what you actually get out of it. I think the feeling of freedom, and the friendships forged on the water will make the hardships, while not insignificant, seem more manageable because they are in a way, a shared experienced.

I was continually amazed at the author’s courage, and her willingness to do all the work herself. Her carpentry skills were amazing and her power tools impressive, but I would have run a mile before crawling into a 500l water tank to attach the necessary fittings. Never, ever *shudder*.

Other than being a great read, I think there is an important lesson to be learned. Never give up. Know your limitations, but push them ...... hard. It was great to see how much Valerie Poore was able to achieve because she believed in herself and her abilities.

I especially enjoyed the photographs which accompanied the story. I would have loved a lot more, but was thankful for the glimpses of what the author was working on at the time. The kitchen and the bathroom were amazing. They are tiny, and yet so perfect. The photos of the barge moving serenely along the rivers/canals were awesome.

This is a great book. It is beautifully written and I loved it.… (mehr)

I bought African Ways on the recommendation of a friend, and I am so glad I did as it is a great story.

The book is the true life story of a family who moved from England to South Africa – looking for the sun. The author wrote ‘I don’t mind being poor, but I do mind being cold as well as poor!’ .... so they moved. I loved that, I wish I had that kind of courage.

It tells the story of the family’s first three years in the country and is told with humor and warmth. The author weaves a tapestry of words that describes the country perfectly, and the love she has for South Africa and its people shines through. Her views on some of the customs and the people she met, is really funny and is told in a rich and colourful way.

One character in particular stands out. He is a young Xhosa boy named Sobriety. The family met him in Port St John’s when they were out on a family excursion. I would so love to see a photo of this young man, the author’s description of him is so perfect – regal and proud. His love and his pride in his country and his willingness to share it with strangers was heart warming – I wonder where he is today. I hope he is still sharing that same love for his environment with others, and that he is well.

So much has changed in South Africa since the author first arrived in the country, and yet nothing has changed, this is Africa. It is a beautiful and diverse country – but the real treasure is the ordinary people who populate this rainbow nation of ours, they are real, and the author did a great job in getting that across.

I loved this book. It is a great story and is beautifully written. I read the entire book with a grin on my face. This book, for me, is a treasure.… (mehr)