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Book Reviews: March 2021

March 1st, 2021
The Wild Isles edited by Patrick Barkham
Head of Zeus, £25

What a treat! A beautifully produced new collection of the best of British and Irish nature-writing, lovingly selected by Patrick Barkham, one of our favourite nature-writers, author of ‘The Butterfly Isles’ and ‘Coastlines’, who has visited us for events several times.
In ‘The Wild Isles’, Patrick has arranged his choices according to theme;  ranging from birds, woods and coastlines to childhood, the seasons and urban nature. He juxtaposes extracts from much-loved classics with passages by contemporary writers such as Robert Macfarlane, James Rebanks and Helen Macdonald. From the bleak heights of the Cairngorms, the ancient woodlands of Essex, the storm-lashed islands of Ireland’s west coast and the lush fields of Devon, The Wild Isles highlights nature’s capacity to terrify and to delight, to soothe and to heal, to surprise, inspire and bring wonder.
A perfect appetizer of the best nature-writing has to offer, ideal for dipping into, and with its stunning cover design, a wonderful gift, too!

One Pot, Pan, Planet by Anna Jones
Harper Collins £26

If you’re thinking of gifting a recipe book for Mothers Day (fast-approaching!) look no further!
Award-winning food writer Anna Jones had a big hit with her previous cookbook ‘The Modern Cook’s Year’ which was Winner of the Guild of Food Writers Cookery Book Award and OFM Best New Cook Book 2018. Her new cookbook collects over 200 delicious recipes, with the focus on simplicity and sustainability: she limits the pans and limits the ingredients for all-in-one dinners that keep things fast and easy.
There are one-tray dinners, quick dishes like tahini broccoli on toast, one-pot soups and stews like Persian noodles as well as one-pan fritters and pancakes such as golden rosti with ancho chilli chutney.... yum!
Anna also usefully adds 100 recipes for using up any amount of your most-eaten veg, and ideas to help you use the foods that most often end up being thrown away. For all  the recipes out there on the internet, for me, nothing beats the simple, thoughtful pleasure of browsing a cookbook to find inspiration for next week’s meals!

Unsettled Ground by Claire Fuller
Published 25th March Penguin £14.99 hardback

The stunning new novel from one of our Steyning Bookshop favourites, Claire Fuller, is a heart-rending story of betrayal, resilience and survival, amidst rural deprivation.
‘Unsettled Ground’ is a beautifully-observed portrait of lives lived at the fringe of society, and what happens when those edges fray. The central characters, 51 year-old twins, Julius and Jeanie, have lived a sheltered rural existence with their mother, Dot, surviving hand-to-mouth on what they can earn from their garden produce and odd farming jobs. When Dot dies suddenly, the twins are forced to confront the outside world, and long-kept secrets begin to surface, casting doubt on family truths and shattering their precarious existence.
Brooding tension builds as Julius and Jeannie’s situation spirals into desperation - they are almost destitute, and unsavoury characters circle like vultures, ready to take advantage of their unworldliness. The twins are unforgettable characters, equally endearing and infuriating - Jeannie struggles with literacy and Julius cannot travel in motor vehicles, and they are both deeply proud and reluctant to accept help, but ultimately their incredible innocence makes the reader fiercely protective.
Claire’s gently poetic descriptions of rural life find beauty in even the grimmest, cobwebby corners, and her sharp observations of  the twins’ well-meaning but meddling neighbours, and wealthy landlord  add touches of unexpected humour throughout the story.  An absorbing and delicately-nuanced novel.

The Last Bear by Hannah Gold
Harper Collins £12.99 hardback.

A warm-hearted story for animal-lovers aged 7-11, would also be a perfect read-aloud chapter book, which is attracting rave reviews.
There are no polar bears left on Bear Island. At least, that’s what April’s father tells her when his scientific research takes them to this remote Arctic outpost for six months. But one endless summer night, April meets one. He is starving, lonely and a long way from home. Determined to save him, April begins the most important journey of her life...
I must say, I would have LOVED this book as a child, but reading it as a grown-up I can’t help thinking ‘don’t try this at home, kids’. However, the lovable character of Bear and his journey towards trust with April is genuinely moving, and the book is stunningly illustrated with detailed, dreamy pencil drawings by Levi Pinfold.

Maggie Blue and the Dark World by Anna Goodall
Guppy Publishing £12.99 hardback

A debut novel from a fresh new children’s publisher, this is a thrilling, bizarre and twisty middle-grade fantasy adventure, perfect for 9+ readers.
Dreamy Maggie Blue is stuck living with her eccentric aunt, her school-mates think her odd, and her only confidante a grump fat cat called Hoagy - who talks to her!
One day, gazing out of the classroom window, Maggie sees her arch-nemesis - privileged, perfect Ida, vanish into thin air! Turns out Ida has been kidnapped by an evil, shape-shifting wolf masquerading as a teacher...and taken to a parallel dimension. Maggie discovers that she alone has the power to pass through this portal, and bravely sets out, reluctantly accompanied by Hoagy, to put their differences aside and rescue Ida.
Maggie and Hoagy encounter all manner of unearthly creatures and must ward off a powerful enchanter, until finally the horrific truth is revealed.
Echoes of Narnia, the darkness of Coraline, and the weirdness of Spirited Away combine in this dreamy, yet excitingly inventive story for older, braver children.

When We Went Wild by Isabella Tree
Published by Ivy Kids £7.99.
The first picture book from local rewilding pioneer and bestselling writer, Isabella Tree, introduces young children to the concept of rewilding via a simple, sweet story, loosely based on Isabella and her husband’s experiences at Knepp Estate.
Nancy and Jake are farmers. They raise their cows and pigs, and grow their crops.
They use a lot of big machines to help them, and spray a lot of chemicals to get rid of the weeds and the pests.  And yet, there is no wildlife living on their farm. The animals look sad. Even the trees look sad! One day, Nancy has an idea... what if they stopped using all the machines, and all the chemicals, and instead they went wild?
With pretty, watercolour illustrations, and printed in the UK on recycled paper, this lovely nature book practices what it preaches. Will turn your little ones into eco-warriers!
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