Tag Archive | family

The Skipper’s Child

Mar12

Book Link

From Amazon:

For Arie Kornet, School holidays on his family’s barge, the Rival, are more than tedious. His father is a Dutch commercial skipper, and all they do is travel from one place to another on the European waterways, delivering and taking on goods. His deaf mother and his two sisters accept the lifestyle, but Arie is intensely frustrated with it all – especially as it is December and Christmas is coming. It seems there is nothing for him to do on board, and no escape. That is, until an unexpected stowaway, a frightening encounter with Russian secret agents and an alarming international plot bring him far more excitement than he has ever bargained for. Suddenly, his own life, and those of his entire beloved family, are in danger. Forced in to a new and adult role, Arie is faced with difficult decisions to make, and even more difficult actions to take.

The Skipper’s Child is an exciting story of adventure and suspense set in the evocative world of the commercial waterways during the coldest winter of the Cold War.

My Review:

Living life on a barge is not an easy life, but it is rewarding. Everyone must do their part, and the work was hard. Even more when one travels with a load of wool or whatever they carried during war time. On the plus side, families become closer, and friendships with other skippers and their families are treasured. One gets to see so many countries and architecture, scenes most have never seen or imagined. For Arie, he longed for a life away from the hard work of the barge he lived on with his two sisters and his parents. Along comes Dimitri, and things get dicey. What does Arie decide to do after the trials of one December during time of war? I won’t give away the story nor the ending.

The Poetry Mouse

Jan16

Book Link

From Amazon:

Evie believes there is more to life than taking care of her house and baking for her friends. She’s not like the other mice. She has a different path; her purpose is to write poetry.

Being a mouse, she longs for the simplicity of nature. So, every day she sneaks past the woods and into the meadow where she writes her inspired words. She might even find encouragement from a friend to submit her poems.

This is Evie’s story of finding her authentic self, becoming brave enough to do what she loves, and ultimately sharing her gift with the world as The Poetry Mouse.

My Review:

This was a lovely story to read. Evie, a mouse, works at her sewing and such to make a living in her pink house at the end of a lane. She yearns to write poetry and escapes for walks in the countryside. Her pen never stops, and everything she sees, she writes a poem. Mr Fox helps Evie to understand that she is a very good poet, giving Evie the boost she needed to take her poetry down to the post to send to a publisher. This book inspires.