Catching up with emails after a busy week, up and down to Cornwall - have a chance to read a brilliant reading list on journeys compiled by Maureen Twose, Reader Development & Outreach Officer at Cornwall Libraries. Maureen has worked with us on the project from the start and featured in our film Short Stories from the Edge, filmed at the Eden Project a couple of years ago. The books are all available from Cornwall
I PACKED THIS MYSELF
Journeys ~ ten captivating books
Alone on a wide, wide sea by Michael Morpurgo
The story of Arthur Hobhouse orphaned during World War II and sent to Australia. 60 years later his daughter sets sail single-handed to find Arthur’s long lost sister in England. Can family love stretch across time and the vastness of the oceans? Will the threads of Arthur’s life finally come together? Published 2006 ~ Suitable for younger readers.
The Children by Edith Wharton
Originally published in 1928, this major American novel tells the story of Martin Boyne, a bachelor in his forties. On a cruise ship between Algiers and Venice, he befriends a band of unruly, precocious children, kept together as a ‘family’ by the eldest, Judith. Mark is travelling to meet the recently widowed woman he has always loved but he is distracted. He scandalously desires a girl of fifteen. Respectable society conventions conflict with the directness and spontaneity of the children. The moral dilemmas and mixed parentage and marital breakdown of the children’s parents make this story relevant today.
The Journey by Josephine Cox
An emotional family story set in the 1930’s and 1950’s by one of Britain’s most popular authors. “Full of joy, drama and tragedy, merging the past and the present, spanning decades and continents…” Published 2005
If you can walk, you can dance by Marion Molteno
A moving fictional account partly based on personal experience of a young white exiled student from South Africa during the years of apartheid. She travels and works in other African countries, eventually reaching London. Music links the wide range of characters and countries. The title is part of a Zimbabwean saying: “If you can walk, you can dance; if you can talk, you can sing”. Marion has visited several Cornish libraries to talk about her writing and work with migrant communities. Published 1998
Life’s New Hurdles by Colin Jackson
This is a quick read by one of Britain’s greatest athletes. How did Colin adapt to life without the strict routine of training and competing when he retired from athletics in 2003? From athletics commentating to Strictly Come Dancing, Colin describes the challenges and joys of starting a whole new life at 35. He has Jamaican parents and is currently learning French & Italian to help his work as an ambassador for the 2012 Olympic Games. Published 2008
The Return Journey by Maeve Binchy
A collection of short stories from a best selling Irish author; all with a travel theme; the chance encounter that can change your life, the wrong suitcase, a package tour, a holiday with your father and many more. Quick snapshots of different journeys through life…
Published 2009
Star of the Sea by Joseph O’Connor
Another Irish author with a tale of refugees fleeing Ireland in the bitter winter of 1847. While Ireland is torn by injustice and natural disaster, the Star of the Sea sets sail for New York with a very mixed collection of characters aboard. Published 2002
Two Caravans by Marina Lewycka
A funny but scary story of recent migrants to Britain and their search for a better life. “Black comedy, sharp as unripe strawberries” (Time Out) from a writer of Ukrainian descent ~ Published 2007
Two Feet, Four Paws by Spud Talbot-Ponsonby
The true account of one woman and her dog who walked right around the British coast raising money for charity. The book describes the coast, characters along the way and the author’s own personal journey. New edition 2009, originally published 1996.
Travels with my Aunt by Graham Greene
Through Aunt Augusta, Henry, a retired bank manager, joins a shiftless, twilight society: mixing with hippies, war criminals. CIA men; smoking pot, breaking all currency regulations…coming alive after a dull suburban lifetime. First published 1969
