One of my favourite books. If my library (God forbid!) was confined to 100 books only, this would always be one of them.
Mark, a young Anglican priest, is sent to minister to a village in the north of Canada, among the first peoples there. It's not a preachy book, not at all - the powerful and understated simplicity of its prose is one of its great strengths, and the way in which it explores the meeting of cultures and the establishment of connections between people across different ways of thinking. It could be soppy and sentimental, but it absolutely isn't. By the end, I'm always a bit choked in the throat, though.
Not sure if it's still in print, but there should be second-hand copies around; the paperback's easier to find than the hardback, I'd say.
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5 comments:
I love that book. We studied it a school several hundred years ago and I've read it a few times since. Wept buckets the first time round and will admit to glistening eyes on other occasions.
I've just picked up a copy on ebay. Look forward to reading it.
Ah Taph, it's not just me.
Lindi, do let me know what you think.
I have just finished reading it. The tears are still trickling down my cheek, but at the same time, my heart is glad for him.
The review on the back of my copy says "...touching in its dignity and wise in its folklore"
How true.
I will now wait for a little while and then read it again. Such a beautiful message should be revisited. Meanwhile, it will rest with my other personal favourites.
Thank you for introducing me to Margaret Craven's writing. Today I received "Again Calls the Owl", and have just finished reading it. It is Margaret's memoir of her writing career and her time in Kingcome preparing for her book. Just as beautifully written as "Owl". I am keen to track down "Walk Gently This Good Earth" now. Have you read it? It's about the Cascades where she grew up, and her Father's days in Montana. I htink it would be well worth reading.
Thanks again! Cheers.
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