Tag survival

‘Just a Regular Boy’ Is No Regular Book

Reg Spittle Leave a comment

No spoilers here. Except for one: Just a Regular Boy could spoil you by setting a bar so high you may have trouble topping it in your future reading.

The book, by Catherine Ryan Hyde, grabbed me from the opening pages and, days after I finished it, I still feel its pull.

Remy Blake is five years old and has lost his mother when his survivalist father moves him to a remote Idaho cabin devoid of modern facilities. His father tells Remy he is finally free, but that he should fear the world and trust no one. In fact, he and his son stay sealed off from the outside.

You will cheer, worry, and feel his fear as the boy takes on the characteristics of a feral animal. When his dad’s heart gives out, Remy is just seven years old, and when he runs out of supplies, he must venture into the “evil” world. His dad’s old truck is his only way out, but he is too short to drive and crashes off a road, breaking his leg, adding to the broken ribs he sustained while trying to survive.

Remy fights for his life, even as he wonders if it is worth living. He is desperate and the depth of his character reveals itself. Will anyone help him? Will the goodness at the core of his heart find a chance to shine? A warning: If you are determined to keep your eyes dry, Remy Blake’s story may not be for you.

Hyde, who has penned more than 40 books, is the author of Pay it Forward, which was adapted into a motion picture. You’re right; I look forward to reading more of her books.

Nomadland: Moving Tales of Survival

Reg Spittle Leave a comment

In an era of expensive tiny homes, giant motor homes, and slide-outs that extend from every side of RVs, an American subculture on wheels follows good weather and seasonal work, out of necessity. The itinerants live in rustic, converted vans and RVs of all sizes, moving from campground to campground. Luxurious RVs may surround their modest homes, but they represent a life that couldn’t be farther away.

As camp hosts, they clean bathrooms and quiet rowdy campers. They work in Amazon warehouses and fill orders from an America unaware how much effort (and injury) go into millions of deliveries. Some move their rigs from street to street, hoping to avoid attention and eviction.

New York Times journalist Jessica Bruder drives Halen, her camper van, for part of a three-year journey as she follows a lifestyle that is invisible to many. In Nomadland: Surviving America in the 21st Century, she tells the story of Linda, who supplements her small Social Security check and dreams of one day owning land and a modest home. Like others chronicled in Nomadland, Linda’s story will tug at your heart and keep you turning the pages of this compelling book.