A ‘Reading for Wellbeing’ recommended read!
The gathering night by Margaret Elphinstone
This novel is set in the Mesolithic era, approx 6000 BC. It describes the life of a tribe called Auk people. The tribe are hunter gatherers and the novel details the relationships between children, hunters, gatherers and wise elders, including their spirituality and respect for nature. The tribe move to different camps throughout the year to take advantage of different food sources, deer, salmon, shellfish, berries, and also protection from the elements in different habitats. The morals of the tribe are described and the punishments meeted out to offenders are awesome, none more so that in the case of a rape.
The interdependence of each family member is recorded and is it essential for the survival of the family group. Besides being a good read, this novel has made me re-assess present day family and community relationships and interdependence.
