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mindfullibrarian's review against another edition
5.0
I purchased this book years ago when it was just available from UK sellers, and when I was reading [b:Heat Wave|202875|Heat Wave|Penelope Lively|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1430195826l/202875._SX50_.jpg|571427], I was all of a sudden reminded that this book was sitting on my shelf. Are the two books similar? No, not really at all, except for the fact that they are both set in Britain and involve houses. They ended up being a perfect pairing to read back-to-back, because as Heat Wave has a well-to-do editor and her family living on a rural property for the summer as their second home, Davies is not able to afford housing and is living illegally in a shed her father still owns years after it was last used. This stark disparity is what Davies highlights in her memoir, and I was struck over and over again by passages that resonated with me regarding housing inequality, the futility of working just to barely scrape by, and her connection with nature. The connections throughout the book to [b:Walden|16902|Walden|Henry David Thoreau|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1630470982l/16902._SY75_.jpg|2361393] were excellent, and highlight just how much society stays the same despite so many technological changes. I adored this book and immediately handed it to my almost-adult daughter and insisted that she MUST read it immediately. It has earned a place on my forever shelf.
Source: purchased paperback
Source: purchased paperback
walden's review against another edition
4.0
Really enjoyed, fluid read, nice mix of personal stories and more general issues sourrounding housing in uk, but most specifically Cornwall.
craftyemma's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
caitsidhe's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
abigailyardimci's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
5.0
This book is full of courage and vulnerability in a glorious, surprising balance. Telling the real life story of how one woman came to live in a shed steeped in problematic childhood memory, I was gripped from start to finish. One moment there are beautiful, lyrical descriptions of the natural world and how we, as humans, can find ways to respect, love and cherish it. The next moment the author is raging about the inequalities of the housing system and the unfair ways in which consumerism has trapped people to the point of inertia. It’s a wonderful book and you’ll put it down feeling simultaneously angry and at peace.
tomjaeger's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
5.0
One of my favourite books, and the audiobook is no different. A great narration by the author, and it really makes you think about the housing crisis in the UK, as well as pondering if there may be an alternative way of living.
peterp3's review against another edition
5.0
Very well written. This is an intriguing blend of soul-searching introspection by the author searching for her roots and for meaning in life, combined with a powerful critique of the impact of Britains’s deep-rooted system of property ownership, which gives far too much power to those that own property, at the expense of those who don’t.