Gray’s use of language is superb: detailed yet economical; vivid and appealing. It places the reader in the midst of the action as if walking alongside...
Ultimately, the sheer variety amid the collection in My Country proves not dissimilar to a hike in the forest, where a slow meander reveals fresh originality at nearly every turn. And while nature provides the cohesive theme, what is refreshing is Gray’s honest portrayal of our interaction with it—the reader is treated to a view of life in the wilderness without either melodrama or whitewashed sentimentality. That, and the close observation of detail, commend repeated readings of this book.
A rich and evocative read… I love the diversity and creative license this author uses to show the reader all the ways in which one can perceive, digest, and make sense of the world…creatively.
On December 4 in Victoria, I joined local writers paulo da costa and Heidi Erhardt in presenting an evening of poetic essays, music and photographic reflections on home, our connection to place in the natural world. Each steeped in communion with natural places (rural Portugal, Maui, BC interior rainforest), we shared stories of listening and tending to the earth, wildlife, and the human generations in a living culture.
