Seven year old Wen is living her life, catching grasshoppers outside the vacation cabin she's staying in with her dad Eric and her dad Andrew. Suddenly a stranger approaches. He is the biggest man Wen has ever seen. But he’s young and friendly. He tells Wen his name is Leonard, they play together and Leonard helps Wen catch grasshoppers. Time passes and Wen looks up and notices three more strangers approaching. Carrying what look like weapons. Leonard abruptly turns to Wen, apologizes and tells her “None of what’s about to happen is your fault” “Your dad‘s won’t want to let us in, Wen. But they have to. We need your help to save the world”. Het voelde voor mij meer als een opsomming van gebeurtenissen en hoewel ik zeker begrijp dat sommige zaken die ze heeft meegemaakt traumatisch kunnen zijn, denk ik dat ik niet altijd heb meegekregen hoe ze zich voelde op die momenten, wat het echt met haar heeft gedaan en hoe het haar verder heeft gevormd, waar ik altijd wel op hoop wanneer ik memoires lees. En dat is niet gedurende het hele boek zo, maar ik bleef wel iets meer op afstand dan ik had verwacht en enkele gebeurtenissen werden eerder aangestipt dan volwaardig uitgewerkt. Zeker geen aanmerkingen op het verhaal (dat zou ook gek zijn bij zo’n persoonlijk boek), maar ik klikte niet overal met de wijze waarop het is verteld. In June 2020, Ruth Shaw was wrapping up an interview with RNZ’s Kim Hill, about the bookshops Shaw had built in Manapōuri, on the fringe of Fiordland. Then she travelled to Tasmania to protest against the Franklin Dam hydro project, which sparked a life of environmental action. A getaway to a cabin sounds like a perfect time away for Wen and her two dads. They are going to relax, she wants to catch some grasshoppers and they plan to enjoy the lake. But one day a man approaches Wen while she is busy catching her grasshoppers and tells her "None of what’s going to happen is your fault". and "Your dads won’t want to let us in, Wen. But they must. We need your help to save the world."

The Bookseller at the End of the World by Ruth Shaw - Goodreads The Bookseller at the End of the World by Ruth Shaw - Goodreads

Especially some women who know me through the bookshop and think I’m this innocent little book reader. What she learnt about police corruption, and detectives like Roger Rogerson (later convicted of murder) led Shaw to flee Sydney, fearing for her life. Through turbulent times, when she had no money to keep herself fed, through times of being scared and alone and at the mercy of the ocean or a dodgy man, Ruth's belief in herself, her ability to adapt and fit in has been the secret of her interesting and varied life. Going from crisis to crisis and with bunches of happy times in between. There are moments of enormous sadness in this story, but good humour and kindness shine through.Shaw's writing is pragmatic and restrained; her voice is so strong and assured that when grief appears you gasp at its intrusion and your heart stops a second." --Alexa Dretzke, Readings Hawthorn Busch, Anita (April 12, 2018). "FilmNation Acquires Paul Tremblay's The Cabin At The End Of The World". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved August 5, 2022. On the plus side, it was refreshing that the main family unit was made up of two dads and their adopted child, Wen. Maybe it's just the books I've been reading recently, but I don't often come across gay couples with children in my fiction and I really did appreciate that! Representation is important. It's just a shame I didn't give a flying toot about the actual characters... There was a huge scene that I know was meant to be really emotional and I didn't even bat an eyelid. And I'm a crier!! Oh, and some of the violence scenes were pretty brutal... which was good. But that's all I got! Forty-year-old couple Andrew and Eric and their adopted seven-year-old daughter Wen leave their home in Cambridge, Massachusetts behind to spend a vacation in a secluded cabin in New Hampshire. Wen is approached by a large, mysterious man named Leonard, who says he is sad about what he has to do and that he needs Wen and her parents' help to save the world. The two spend time together catching grasshoppers, but Wen becomes suspicious when three other people show up with odd, makeshift weapons. Wen flees to warn Andrew and Eric. She usually only opens from Labour Day to Easter, winter’s days being short, and tourist numbers likewise.

The Bookseller at The End of The World | PDF - Scribd The Bookseller at The End of The World | PDF - Scribd

I think the ending of this book is going to get a lot of people talking. People are either going to love it or hate it. I found it to be tragically romantic if that is actually a thing. In 2019, Ruth decided she had to add another bookshop – one just for children, where they could stretch out while they read, and borrow books if they liked. And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you, because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely of places. Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it." Take Paul Tremblay’s books for instance. A Head Full of Ghosts, at face value, is a demon possession book? “Scary stuff” as contemporary fiction readers would say. But it’s so much more. It breaks down lots of horror stereotypes. Tremblay expertly tells his tale with young, female protagonist narratives and short, punchy chapter breaks. He also weaves in some pop culture influences that add an urgent relevancy that will still read fresh and modern in years to come. As Wen is outside catching grasshoppers, cataloging and naming them, as you do, a stranger appears.

This is exclusive content.

I think there’s going to be a lot of women who wish they’d done stuff. Not necessarily the same things as Ruth, but when they’ve come to a crossroad, they’ve always gone the safe way. The menacing aura surrounding the group of strangers that have entered their property builds the suspense, as you wonder why they are there and what it all means.