A summers Grace ~ Libby Purves

[[2574]]

Father Christmas brought me this and I've thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Beautifully written, it is an entertaining and (sometimes brutally) honest account of a family (Paul Heiney, Libby Purves and progeny Nicholas and Rose) at sea on a testing voyage around Britain during summer 1988. Wholly recommended as cockpit reading with a glass of chablis or by the fire with a glass of Sloe Gin; excellent!

Tragically Nick Heiney commited suicide later in his life and that fact makes every moment of the read seem more compelling and precious. Nick it seems was also a promising literary talent and his mother has published some of his work after his death and has also spoken about it on R4 Woman's Hour, a brave performance for sure.

Rob

 

[LittleSister]

Agree this is a beautifully written book. Very perceptive too, I think.

Title is actually 'One Summer's Grace', though.

 

[[2574]]

"Title is actually 'One Summer's Grace', though. "

Ah yes, thanks for the correction, too much sloe gin over the Christmas period I fear!

rob

 

[jhr]

[ QUOTE ]
Nick it seems was also a promising literary talent and his mother has published some of his work after his death and has also spoken about it on R4 Woman's Hour, a brave performance for sure.

[/ QUOTE ] The book is called "The Silence at the Song's End". Some of his descriptions of offshore sailing in a Tall Ship are interesting but - and I'm not setting out to be offensive or to deride his tragic death - most of the rest is probably best described as Adolescent Melancholia. Worth getting from the library, if you can find a copy, but probably not worth buying, imho.

"One Summer's Grace", on the other hand, is a great read.

 

[noname]

Just like to echo the above,an excellent read!

 

[Rabbie]

Whilst reading the story many years after it was published, I referred to my old logs and they confirmed that I was on an adjacent mooring in Dale Roads, Milford Haven on their circumnavigation. I recorded the sight of the Grace O'Malley and the gorgeous smell of frying bacon from its galley one morning! I had no idea who was on board at the time. I was nice to relate this to Libby when we met at the Portsmouth IFOS. Its the sort of book that you can open anywhere and start reading - I loved it.

 

[Rabbie]

Glad you enjoyed it Dave! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Zephyr362]

Good read, just reading it for the second time, it was one of the things that inspired to to do a lap last year.