Scan barcode
A review by kait_mck
Greenwood by Michael Christie
5.0
Greenwood by Michael Christie, Narrated by Raven Dauda, David Ferry, Christo Graham, and Amy Matysio - 5 Stars
This book was so very wonderful and now holds a special place in my heart. I love stories of unconventional families and I just love Canadian literature, (I actually took an amazing University class on Canadian Literature and Canadian Women’s Literature). I greatly enjoyed this book early on, but once we went back to the beginning of the Greenwood name, with Harris and Everett, my love grew. Everett is just an easy character to get behind I found, but when Harris and Liam moved to Greenwood Island it brought back so many memories of nothing but joy for me. Then, when Everett and Pod watched Killer Whales off the cliff of the Greenwood cabin, it brought me fond memories of my childhood in BC.
I thought the format of storytelling was wonderful and really kept me engaged in the story. Having four different generations and 5 characters with very interesting lives to follow, told from newest to oldest, then back to the newest again, just wow. I never knew what I was going to get in each chapter and I was on the edge of my seat while listening to Everett on the run. When we got Everett and Willow’s entire backstory, and then Willow having no idea who he was when she picked him up from prison, quite literally broke my heart. The only consolation is Everett going back to live with Temple and getting a perspective of their lives through Liam’s eyes. At the end of the book when Jake was basically offered ownership of Greenwood Island and her not taking the opportunity really took me by surprise. I honestly thought she would say yes and that is how the book would end. Jake taking that one child with her at the end of the book was a turn I didn’t see coming but definitely kept on theme with the book; I only hope the cycle continues.
I have always been lacking in the kind of wanderlust at most people my age exhibit. That being said, one of my favourite places on earth is British Columbia. I have family that live in Victoria and growing up I had the opportunity to go out west and visit for a couple of weeks each summer. As I got older and my life got busier, those annual visits drifted off. This wonderful book did nothing but stoke that desire to go back and walk through the giant tree forests and go whale watching again.
This book was so very wonderful and now holds a special place in my heart. I love stories of unconventional families and I just love Canadian literature, (I actually took an amazing University class on Canadian Literature and Canadian Women’s Literature). I greatly enjoyed this book early on, but once we went back to the beginning of the Greenwood name, with Harris and Everett, my love grew. Everett is just an easy character to get behind I found, but when Harris and Liam moved to Greenwood Island it brought back so many memories of nothing but joy for me. Then, when Everett and Pod watched Killer Whales off the cliff of the Greenwood cabin, it brought me fond memories of my childhood in BC.
I thought the format of storytelling was wonderful and really kept me engaged in the story. Having four different generations and 5 characters with very interesting lives to follow, told from newest to oldest, then back to the newest again, just wow. I never knew what I was going to get in each chapter and I was on the edge of my seat while listening to Everett on the run. When we got Everett and Willow’s entire backstory, and then Willow having no idea who he was when she picked him up from prison, quite literally broke my heart. The only consolation is Everett going back to live with Temple and getting a perspective of their lives through Liam’s eyes. At the end of the book when Jake was basically offered ownership of Greenwood Island and her not taking the opportunity really took me by surprise. I honestly thought she would say yes and that is how the book would end. Jake taking that one child with her at the end of the book was a turn I didn’t see coming but definitely kept on theme with the book; I only hope the cycle continues.
I have always been lacking in the kind of wanderlust at most people my age exhibit. That being said, one of my favourite places on earth is British Columbia. I have family that live in Victoria and growing up I had the opportunity to go out west and visit for a couple of weeks each summer. As I got older and my life got busier, those annual visits drifted off. This wonderful book did nothing but stoke that desire to go back and walk through the giant tree forests and go whale watching again.