The Rural Voice, 2006-07, Page 43Book Review
Local book celebrates trees in stories
Wood Words
a celebration o
forests
edited by
Lillian
Burgess,
Brucedale
Press, 83 pgs.,
paperback,
$12.00
Review by Arnold Mathers
Wood Words a Celebration of
Forests is a little book (only 83
pages) edited by Lillian Burgess and
printed by The Brucedale Press.
It contains 27 short stories and
poems about trees. The stories and
poems are an interesting variety of
points of view about wood.
Most of the stories are set in the
1930s, several are reflections about a
grandfather's love of trees. Margaret
Blender who spent her summers at a
cottage near Point Clark contributed a
particularly interesting story -letter.
Her story entitled PS. Thanks for the
Woodlot, Grandpa is a letter tribute
to her grandfather who passed away
in 1971.
One of the. interesting aspects of
the book is the editor's well-written
biography about each of the
contributors. Most of the writers are
local Bruce or Grey county folk and
for many it is their first contribution
to be published. Certainly, Jack
Adams' story entitled The Ash Tree
would entice one to look up other
stories that he has had published.
Ferelith Hoffman -Taylor's poem A
Winter Walk is a beautifully
expanded version of one of my
favourite poems, Robert Frost's
classic Stopping by the Woods on a
Snowy Evening. It is worth reading A
Winter Walk and then looking for the
Robert Frost poem.
The book is a quick and easy first
read and many of the stories are well
worth rereading. The book grew out
of the editor's transplant to a farm
with a woodlot and the growing love
for trees and stories inspired by trees
and so unlike most other books the
"Editor's Introduction" is itself a
good little story.
Would 1 buy the book'.' Yes.
Would I encourage others to buy the
book? Definitely. Would I give a
copy to a granddaughter or grandson
for Christmas or a birthday?
Absolutely! We should take every
opportunity to encourage local
writers and editors and to encourage
young people to read interesting
stories and poems about the "I
remember when..." time.0
The Rural Voice
welcomes your opinions for
our Feedback, letters to the
editor column.
Mail to: The Rural Voice,
PO Box 429, Blyth, ON
NOM 1HO
Turn your
• Our capacity
fraction
• Loosens,
• Multiple
o � �
�w.
a
DESIGN 111
STI R-ATORS
bin into a self-contained drying system
of a large, continuous -flow system at a
of the cost.
mixes & circulates grain for faster grain drying.
uses: wet holding, drying, storage
Avonbank Farm Services
Granton 519-225-2507
R.R. 2, Wellesley 519-656-2709
Aylmer 519-265-2744
County Line
Equipment Ltd.
Palmerston 519-343-2483
Huron Feeding
Systems
Brussels 519-887-6289
Slumskie Bros.
Contracting
R.R. 2, Dobbinton 519-363-5374
Call your DMC
dealer today!
D
Me
JULY 2006 39