2015 a year off blogging

It's been such a long time since I've posted anything that it may seem as if I've staged my own death. But it's nothing so dramatic. It's simply that I've been so busy with other work this year that the blogging has suffered. 2015 was a sad year. There was the loss of a colleague at work through cancer and numerous office upheavals with various staff leaving. As well as this the phone would ring at unexpected times and bingo, I'd be called in to work. Not that I'm complaining as the library helps us to pay the bills but deadlines were continually stretched and my reading and writing suffered. At times I've felt as if 'library world' was dragging me along screaming and kicking and I had no time to read at all.
   But there were some gems that I managed to find. Among them was David Hair's The Taniwha's Tear. This is the second book in this fantasy series, Aotearoa, set in New Zealand, and it was a cracker of a read. The Taniwha is a giant lake monster from Maori legend that comes alive in the story. The pace is relentless and the characters are lovable.
   A Kind of Eden was a story by Amanda Smyth, set in Jamaica which was another beauty. It was a story heavy with pain and indecision and a terrible outcome for the protagonist's daughter but the tale left me with a lasting impression. Although I've already written about this one, its praise needs repeating. It was a great read.
   One book I read and enjoyed by Australian author Kate Constable was New Guinea Moon, a coming of age story set in the 1970s in PNG. I'll have to devote a whole post to that one. It was also worth reading.
   For the Forest of a Bird is another island story that I read and enjoyed. It's a gentle story about belonging and family life and where you fit when family dynamics shift. I actually know the author, Sue Saliba, as she is a patron of our library. The natural environment of Phillip Island inspired her to write this one and if you are after a heart-felt tale that's big on emotion, this one could be a story you'd enjoy.
   And I finally got to read Maggie Stiefvater's The Scorpio Races in 2015. Lots of blood and gore but a rollicking good tale about giant mythical horses that come out of the ocean and are as fast as the wind. I loved it.
So that was my tally of terrific island reads for me in 2015. Hopefully I'll get my act together and start blogging more regularly now. New Year's resolutions and all that...

Wurramatyenna and the Magic Canoe by Lisa Kennedy

Wurramatyenna and the
 Magic Canoe (Dreaming
Path Books, 2014)

I finally got my hands on this book only to realise it's the first in the series, whereas Wurramatyenna and The Call Of The Sea is the sequel. Never mind - they are both delightful books full of gorgeous illustrations. Wurramatyenna and the Magic Canoe introduces an albatross who becomes Wurramatyenna's friend. When the albatross dies, its spirit encourages Wurramatyenna to journey across the sea in a little magic canoe to explore the islands of Bass Strait.
   Once again Lisa Kennedy has produced some engaging pictures, using what appears to be a water-colour wash to evoke the blues and greens of the deep sea. She has labelled many of the creatures and objects in the environment, highlighting their names in both English and Palawa Kani. Another great book celebrating the depth of knowledge of our indigenous people.

Thoughts on Cyclone Pam

It's been very distressing seeing all the destruction through Vanuatu caused by Cyclone Pam. The people are suffering due to lack of water, food, shelter and medicine. Food gardens have been obliterated. It will take many months before even the speediest crops will yield again. My thoughts and prayers are with the people of Vanuatu, and those affected in Kiribati, and the Solomon Islands.

Wurramatyenna and the Call from the Sea by Lisa Kennedy

Wurramatyenna and the Call from
the Sea (Dreaming Path
Books, 2014)

This picture book caught my eye due to the fabulous illustrations. It is written and illustrated by artist Lisa Kennedy who is of Tasmanian Aboriginal descent. The book tells the tale of two Aboriginal girls taken from their families during the sealing trade in the Bass Strait. Young Wurramatyenna hears the cries of the lost girls in the wind as he stands beside the sea. He journeys in his canoe to find the girls and set their spirits free.
   The illustrations are the best. Patterns of shells and geometric prints in mostly blues and greens are on each page. The wildlife are depicted clearly too. Each has a label beside it, naming the creature in both English and Palawa Kani. There is also a glossary at the back.
   Truly a work of art and with spiritual depth, this book is a treasure.

Cat on the Island by Gary Crew and Gillian Warden

Cat on the Island
 (Harper Collins, 2008)

I borrowed this picture book to read to my kids and found it quite disturbing. It's based on the true story of what happened to the wildlife on Stephens Island, New Zealand in the 1890s. The folk who came to man the lighthouse brought a cat with them. The cat had kittens, which turned feral and these killed all the little wrens that lived on the island. What is so tragic for science is that these wrens were unique because they were the only flightless wrens in the world.
   Although the subject matter is confronting, it lead to lengthy family conversations about feral cats and pet cats.
   Gillian Warden illustrated the book and the cats are depicted as red with needle sharp teeth and huge eyes. Quite frightening really.     I think this is a good book for introducing young children to conservation issues.


A Kind of Eden by Amanda Smyth

I listened to this tale as a talking book and the voice of the narrator, played by Lloyd Notice, was just brilliant. I try to listen to talking books when I drive and if I like the resonance of the voice I'll keep listening through to the end (that is if the story is engaging too). Nothing makes me hit the eject button faster than if the reader has an annoying voice.


A Kind of Eden (Serpent's Tail)

So, what's this book about? Essentially it's a crime novel, but it's also full of mid-life crisis angst and the guilt that won't brush off when you betray someone. The hero, Martin, is a fifty-something ex-cop doing an expatriate stint in the Caribbean as an advisor to the Trinidad police. He has found life in Trinidad exotic and has fallen in love with a much younger local girl, Safiya.
Meanwhile Martin's wife and teenage daughter have arranged to come over to Trinidad for a holiday. Martin hides the truth from his family but a serious crime exposes all his deceptions.
Smyth describes the heady aromas of Caribbean food, the squalor of the local villages, the vivid scenery and all the frustrations of culture shock with great clarity.
Although Martin is hard to like at times, the story is engaging because the reader wants to know if justice will be done in the end.

NZ/Samoan poet

I'm listening to an interview with NZ/Samoan poet Tusiata Avia on Radio National today. A great insight into Samoan custom. I must check out more of her poetry. Click on the hyperlink above to hear the interview.

The Sea Chest

(Meditation on Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island)

 
The dead buccaneer's trunk
with salt-encrusted brass hinges
and heavy oak panelling
held a shabby pouch with a few doubloons
guineas and sovereigns  
a chart wrapped in oilskin
showed a magnified dot in the Pacific.
 
The instructions read
behold a tall tree
in the shoulder of the Spyglass
compass bearings east by north east
there lies a sea chest.

Young Hawkins and the crew
searched for Captain Flint's treasure
instead they found
sand-encrusted brass hinges broken
and oak panelling splintered.

B. Montgomery 2014 

 

 

ASSI Stories screening

If you happen to be in Brisbane this weekend, get down to The Edge on Sunday the 14th of December to see the world premiere screening of Australian South Sea Islander (ASSI) Stories. This collection of short films will be presented to the public at 3pm. There will also be speeches, music, light refreshments and an art exhibition.

The Bone Tiki by David Hair

Wow! This book is amazing. It has Maori mythology, Kiwi history, suspense, humour and relentless pace. If you enjoy fantasy, thrillers or any supernatural themes, you will love this book.
   Young Matiu Douglas has a bone tiki he stole and the owner, Puarata, is out to get him. The trouble is that Puarata is no regular bad guy. He's a supernatural nasty fellow with power to call up all manner of terrifying henchmen. The Bone Tiki is like a magic lantern which can store a genie. In this story it holds a good warrior, called Wiri, whom Matiu befriends.
   The story is basically a good versus evil  plot but the setting jumps into another world where ghosts are prevalent and the history of New Zealand comes alive. Mythical creatures also inhabit this other world called Aotearoa.
   The Bone Tiki is the first in The Aotearoa Series written by David Hair. If the other books are anything like this one, I'm hooked and can't wait to read the whole series.

Robyn Harbour's book launch

Last week I was excited to attend Robyn Harbour's book launch at the Inverloch Library. Robyn has written a collection of short stories entitled Beyond the Palm Trees. Her stories were inspired by her time living in Vanuatu. Robyn and her husband were missionaries in Vanuatu for three years.
   The front cover of the book shows a delightful shot of a typical Melanesian village. I'll have to get reading all the stories so I can review her book at a later date.

Two weeks in the Solomon Islands

I was very pleased to be able to visit the Solomon Islands again for two weeks in September. Whilst there I visited friends and family and spent time in my husband's village. It was a great trip with lots of fun, laughter, red mud and hot sun. Thanks to my extended family in Tholana for making us feel very welcome.

Teaching the Wedge-tailed Eagle song to the
 Tholana kindergarten, Ysabel. Source: B. Montgomery.

On board the Uta Princess on our way to Ysabel Province.
Source: B. Montgomery.

Back at Tenaru with Modi and John,
 two of my fellow staff members in 2000.
Source: B. Montgomery

The First Voyage by Allan Baillie

The First Voyage
 (Puffin, 2014)

The First Voyage is a tale about people long ago, when the land mass known as Sahul was in existence. It is now known as New Guinea and Australia. This story is set around 30,000 years ago when the Yam tribe escape persecution from the Crocodile tribe. The main characters are teenagers Bent Beak and The Wind. There are elders and younger members of the tribe too that the reader grows to love. Unfortunately some characters die, but most of the tribe makes it off Bird Island (one day to become Timor Leste) to travel by raft across the sea to a wide red land (one day to become Australia).

I enjoyed this book, for its simplicity and endearing characters. It is a great adventure.


Illustrated Myths and Legends of the Pacific by A.W. Reed

Illustrated Myths and Legends of the Pacific
 (2007, Reed Books)

This book is gorgeous because the watercolour illustrations are so realistic and engaging. But the stories also range from humorous, such as the 'Foolish Canoe Paddlers', to dark, such as the story from Vanuatu called the 'Six Men Who Tried to Catch a Sunbeam'. Many Pacific Island nations are  represented. Although Tuvalu and Kiribati miss out for some reason.
   Jennifer Cooper is the illustrator and she has done a tremendous job. Even on pages without a major illustration, she has created borders or motifs at the edge of the text, that depict island lifestyles.
   A wonderful children's book and a great resource for teachers who need to implement a bit of Pasifika into the curriculum.

Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedgwick

Midwinterblood
(Indigo, 2011)

On a remote island called Blessed, newcomer Eric and local girl Merle are falling in love. But Eric can't help feeling he's been there before, and Merle seems so familiar, so beautiful, so enticing...
It turns out Eric has been to Blessed before. Midwinterblood is set in seven different times telling the story of Eric and Merle. Centuries ago they were King and Queen of the island, but famine and disease led the superstitious villagers to sacrifice the king.  As he died he swore he would live seven lives and his queen swore she would follow him. What follows is a creepy, but beautifully crafted tale of reincarnation, love and sacrifice.
   Marcus Sedgwick is a master of creepy tales and this is no exception. His depiction of the island is eerie in itself. There are no children. A mysterious purple-black flower with narcotic and healing properties grows freely and hares roam the island. Although both of these seem innocent enough, their recurring use throughout the book over each of the lives of Eric and Merle, lends a spooky tone to the novel.
   A terrific read from a gothic master, this book is well worth reading.

The Magic Seashell by Makerita Urale

Masina is woman castaway on a lonely island. She finds a beautiful shell and wears it as a necklace. She spends many years alone on the island, fending for herself and building a beautiful home and garden. One day a huge cyclone comes and destroys everything on the island. In her flight to get to safety in a cave, she loses her shell necklace. Bereft, Masina sits and cries.


The Magic Seashell
(Steele Roberts, 1999)

Unbeknown to her, the shell necklace washes up on another island and sets in place a rescue mission.
   The Magic Seashell is a picture story book, aimed at children. It is unusual because the main characters are adults, not children, yet the story has a strong mythical quality to it which makes it endearing. Although the text is quite long, Makerita Urale has crafted a gentle story full of emotion and dialogue that will delight readers.
   The illustrator, Samuel Sakaria, has produced a variety of pictures, predominately in vibrant yellows and blues to accompany each page. Some illustrations have interesting borders depicting island motifs and woven patterns.
  This is a beautiful
book with a happy ending.

My Father's Islands by Christobel Mattingley

Before I read Christobel Mattingley's book I knew zilch about the Dutch navigator Abel Tasman. In fact, I didn't even know he was Dutch. Now I have a great deal of respect for a man who spent years at sea for very little thanks from the Councillors and the Governor General who sent him on such dangerous expeditions.

My Father's Islands (NLA
 Publishing, 2012)

   My Father's Islands is written from the point of view of Tasman's young daughter, Claesgen, who spent most of her life in Batavia (now Jakarta) during the mid 1600s. This gives emotion and depth to a subject I have always found hard to get enthusiastic about - explorers. I think this is because my father raved on about Bourke and Wills and Charles Sturt and Oxley and Blaxland and numerous others for much of my childhood. It has given me a kind of allergic reaction to Australian explorer stories. With this in mind, I think I did well to finish this small book.
   However half way through the story Tasman's ships left Tasmania and journeyed to New Zealand, Tonga and later, the Solomon Islands and New Ireland. These were the parts I found fascinating, especially his encounters with the islanders.
   The text is pitched at children, though it is a good book for history buffs of all ages. It is filled with charts and illustrations taken on Tasman's journey along the S
outhern Ocean, past Tasmania, through to New Zealand and then on to the Pacific Isles.

Ponape, 1994 Source: B. Montgomery

On wet, windy, winter days, like I'm living through right now, I wish I could be back in Micronesia, enjoying the sun, the sea and the slow pace of life. Dream on...

The Island of Four Rivers by Christopher Morgan

I actually listened to this as a talking book and I must say it kept me enthralled over many hours driving in the car. It is the story of Henry Davis, a boring middle-aged man whose life is falling to pieces. His wife and daughter have left him, and his father has had a stroke and is in a coma in hospital.


The Island of four Rivers (Scribe, 2006)

   Henry moves in with his mother, much to her dislike. Then his sister Eleanor, formally a nun, turns up with a Latin lover.
   So what has any of this to do with an island? Well, there is another story going on in this novel.   
   "Crabby" Davis, a Victorian explorer, has been left on the island of Sulupandasan. He befriends a local poetry-writing chieftain, battles an evil beast, makes an enemy of a witch-doctor and falls in love with a beautiful island maiden. There are four rivers on the island and from time to time each one dries up. Crabby goes on a quest to try and find the source of the four rivers. At the great lake a giant turtle is blocking the stream, causing the river to dry up. It might sound weird, but the two stories come together beautifully at the end when Henry needs to decide about turning off his father's life support system.
   Despite the serious background to this book, there are plenty of lighter moments and even times that made me burst out laughing. I also loved the fact that my home town of Wonthaggi was mentioned in the text. Henry Davis is transformed in this story from a selfish bore to a risk-taking man in love. And the story of his fantastical ancestor Crabby, is both a tribute to and a gentle parody of, the old swashbuckling stories of colonial exploration.
   A delightful story!

Our Island by the children of Gununa, Alison Lester and Elizabeth Honey

Our Island (Viking, 2014)

Our Island is a picture story book with gorgeous illustrations by the children of Mornington Island State School. The pictures were drawn using crayons and then food dye was used as a wash over the top. The results are terrific, providing shadows and texture in all the right places. All the pages show some aspect of their island, either the wildlife or the landscape and how the many settings provide the best habitat for the range of creatures that live on the island.
   A delightful book for young children.