- Hardcover: 228 pages
- Publisher: Mainstream Publishing; illustrated edition edition (2 May 1996)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1851588213
- ISBN-13: 978-1851588213
- Product Dimensions: 3.2 x 15.9 x 23.5 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,016,251 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
Most people will admit to a passion for islands. For some it's the romance of a Swiss Family Robinson adventure, for others simply the discovery of a hideaway where a genuine sense of place and community can still be found. There can be no doubt, however, that this 'islomania', as Lawrence Durrell once described it, does exist.Intriguingly, for many of Scotland's remote islands, plagued in the twenty-first century by depopulation, there is a growing realisation that harnessing this island fever could play a significant part in their long-term survival as communities. Papa Westray, mystical island of the monks, is hardly more than a dot on the map of Scotland, yet it has a remarkable record of habitation which spans more than 5,000 years - a continuity of settlement difficult to match anywhere in the world. Only in the past 30 years, though, has the world at large come to know its treasures. This far-flung Orkney isle and journalist Jim Hewitson found each other in the early 1980s. With its 25 households, 70 or so permanent residents, a mini-economy based on cattle, sheep and shellfishing, the island sustains only a fraction of the population it did a century ago. Papa Westray brings together eight years of articles, essays and diary jottings which portray a fascinating island battered not just by Atlantic storms but by the pressures of contemporary economics. It provides a series of snapshots of life on the ocean fringe and reveals the strains, stresses and joys of being part of a compact community still living, more than most, in a world apart. As society becomes more uniform and featureless, the colour and character of Papa Westray portrayed in these pages surely indicate ..............
About the Author
After a career in news-gathering and extensive travel in Europe, Jim moved with his wife, Morag, and their three children to the island, where, over the years, he has been a lobster fisherman, lightweight labourer, graveyard grasscutter and columnist for journals as diverse as the Washington Post and the Inverness Courier. As well as broadcasting regularly on topics such as Scottish history and island life, he has also written nine full-length works of non-fiction, including two important studies of Scots emigrants overseas. Last year, he graduated with an MA degree in Scottish Studies from the University of Aberdeen.
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Customer Reviews
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Entrancing account of life on a small Orkney island,
By A Customer
This review is from: Papa Westray: Island at the Rainbow's End (Hardcover)
Jim Hewitson has written an entrancing book about life on the tiny but beautiful and historic Orkney island of Papa Westray. Each chapter is a story in itself, bringing the island's delightful characters to life. A professional journalist, Jim has an experienced eye and a great skill with words. He lives on the island and understands the key issues in Papa Westray's struggle to survive in the modern world. An excellent book for anyone interested in Orkney or small island life.
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fascinating glimpse into life on a remote Orkney island,
By A Customer
This review is from: Papa Westray: Island at the Rainbow's End (Hardcover)
Jim Hewitson's book provides an fascinating glimpse into life on the tiny and remote Orkney island of Papa Westray. Although physically small, Papa Westray's diminutive size, four miles by one mile, belies its long and rich history. Papa Westray is home to several imporant archealogical sites (the Knap of Howar, a 5,500 yerar old farm house and St. Boniface Church to name a few) and currently home to 67 intrepid souls. Hewitson does a brilliant job of weaving together the past and the present to create an entrancing view of Papa Westray. After reading this book, I felt compelled to visit to Papa Westray and found Hewitson's book an ideal primer. Anyone interested in the Orkney's should read this book.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.5 out of 5 stars (2 customer reviews) 6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Clinging to the Edge: Journals from an Orkney Island,
By A Customer - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Papa Westray: Island at the Rainbow's End (Hardcover)
Jim Hewitson's book provides an interesting glimpse into life on the tiny and remote Orkney island of Papa Westray. Although physically small, Papa Westray's diminutive size, four miles by one mile, belies its long and rich history. Papa Westray is home to several imporant archealogical sites (the Knap of Howar, a 5,500 yerar old farm house and St. Boniface Church to name a few) and currently home to 67 intrepid souls. Hewitson does a brilliant job of weaving together the past and the present to create an entrancing view of Papa Westray. After reading this book, I felt compelled to visit to Papa Westray and found Hewitson's book an ideal primer. Anyone interested in the Orkney's should read this book.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An entrancing account of island life,
By A Customer - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Papa Westray: Island at the Rainbow's End (Hardcover)
Jim Hewitson has written an entrancing book about life on the tiny but beautiful and historic Orkney island of Papa Westray. Each chapter is a story in itself, bringing the island's delightful characters to life. A professional journalist, Jim has an experienced eye and a great skill with words. He lives on the island and understands the key issues in Papa Westray's struggle to survive in the modern world. An excellent book for anyone interested in Orkney or small island life.
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