A Reading For Wellbeing ‘recommended read’
Where nests the water-hen by Gabrielle Roy
This book is about a tiny community in the remote wilderness of Northern Manitoba. The mother of the Toussaint family goes to the nearest town, a 2 day journey away, every year to give birth and returns with a new baby as well as other items which the family cannot find in or make from the environment around them. She eventually asks the Canadian government for a school teacher so that her ever increasing number of children can get an education, resulting in a series of teachers interrupting the otherwise uneventful lives of the Toussaint family.
This book is about a simple and humble life, in tune with the nature which surrounds and often governs the lives of the members of the Toussaint family. I loved it for its beautiful descriptions of the landscapes and wilderness of this part of the world, and of a way of life which sounds idyllic, peaceful, and more in tune with nature. It left me with the urge to travel to Northern Canada as well!
