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Product Description
Book Description
Combining a remarkable understanding of the natural world with a gift for empathy, Pollard is an extraordinary first novel that marks the debut of an unforgettable writer.
Product Description
To fifteen-year-old Anne the woods that lie beyond her house are a temporary refuge from her noisy, chaotic family, until one day she gathers her courage and steps into the woods, never to return. Slowly, she makes a new life for herself, learning to forage and to hunt, to build a house from the bounty of the woods and to listen to the voices of the trees. As she endures her first, terrible winter she develops the strength of character that will carry her through the dangers of her unconventional life and the bitter beauty of falling in love, but as the outside world encroaches on her secret existence Anne faces a terrible tragedy.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
I'm surprised this book hasn't received more fanfare as it is one of the finest I have read in a long time. The main character is not only an outcast from society, but, from a very young age, is an outcast from her entire family. As a teenager she finds refuge in the local wood, eventually settling there permanently. But she is not without human needs for love and companionship, and it is these fragile relationships that provide much of the poignancy of the book. The other subtext of the novel is the threatened existence of the wood itself as developers begin marching in to destroy it. It is lyrical and elegantly written--a book I plan to read again.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
My reading group chose this book on a recommendation from an English teacher (the spouse of one of the group) and we all liked it very much. It tells the story of Anne, who decides at the age of 15 (or thereabouts, we never find out for sure) to leave her family and her home and go and live in the woods. She battles the elements through the first winter, returning home sporadically, mostly to collect the things she needs to make her life easier. One such thing is a wheelbarrow (think about what typical 15 year old girls value most and it gives you an idea of how different Anne is to most teenage girls!)
Anne gradually makes a home for herself in the woods and fashions a routine for her life against the odds. However, as the novel goes on and Anne grows older, her relationships with others and the gradual encroachment of urban society on the woods threatens her peaceful existence.
We liked this book because of its lyrical passages and the writer's ability to take us into a natural world that we probably rarely think about. How much do we truly need to live our lives?
We found lots to discuss inside the pages of this book and lots to enjoy, though the book isn't an easy read at times.
If you enjoyed this book you might also like Poppy Shakespeare, which is another book with an unlikely female character at its centre.
We shall be looking out for other books by this writer.
Anne gradually makes a home for herself in the woods and fashions a routine for her life against the odds. However, as the novel goes on and Anne grows older, her relationships with others and the gradual encroachment of urban society on the woods threatens her peaceful existence.
We liked this book because of its lyrical passages and the writer's ability to take us into a natural world that we probably rarely think about. How much do we truly need to live our lives?
We found lots to discuss inside the pages of this book and lots to enjoy, though the book isn't an easy read at times.
If you enjoyed this book you might also like Poppy Shakespeare, which is another book with an unlikely female character at its centre.
We shall be looking out for other books by this writer.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
"Pollard" is the most unusual work of fiction that I've read for a long time.
It is the story of a misfit teenaged girl who runs off to live in the forest and, through her experiences, examines the relationship that humans have with nature. The writing is very evocative, almost poetic in parts, particularly in the sections where the "Chorus of Trees" takes over, where the wood becomes a character in its own right. In some ways, the book reminds me of "Brendon Chase" updated for modern times, with the evident sympathy that the author has for the natural world.
The main character Anne does not become a recluse and the human relationships that she craves add much poignancy to the story. Although Anne is an outsider, her need to love and be loved, in both a romantic and a maternal way has not been extinguished as she cuts herself off from normal society. The portrayal of the modern world as it encroaches on the forest is very effectively done.
I have to admit to finding the book slightly hard work in sections, where I felt that the writing got a little repetitive and obscure, but overall, this is a story with a haunting and hypnotic quality and an amazing sense of place.
It is the story of a misfit teenaged girl who runs off to live in the forest and, through her experiences, examines the relationship that humans have with nature. The writing is very evocative, almost poetic in parts, particularly in the sections where the "Chorus of Trees" takes over, where the wood becomes a character in its own right. In some ways, the book reminds me of "Brendon Chase" updated for modern times, with the evident sympathy that the author has for the natural world.
The main character Anne does not become a recluse and the human relationships that she craves add much poignancy to the story. Although Anne is an outsider, her need to love and be loved, in both a romantic and a maternal way has not been extinguished as she cuts herself off from normal society. The portrayal of the modern world as it encroaches on the forest is very effectively done.
I have to admit to finding the book slightly hard work in sections, where I felt that the writing got a little repetitive and obscure, but overall, this is a story with a haunting and hypnotic quality and an amazing sense of place.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
a thought provoking boo, a fantastic find
Reading the back cover which talks about a girl who goes and lives in the woods I thought this might be a whimsical read, it is anything but. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Lucinda Stern
a life-changing novel
This lyrical novel is in the top 3 books I have read in the last 5 years. Unsentimental, exquisitely observed, warm, sad and but sometimes funny, it is a call for the wild with the... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Catherine
Beautiful little book
I found this book utterly captivating and I agree with the reviewer above that it didn't recieve nearly enough praise or publicity. Read more
Published on 6 Nov 2009 by Ms. M. P. Reid
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