Series Overview
When interviewed a number of years ago, Joyce West quoted a letter she had received from at least one sympathetic publisher of New Zealand literature at that time. ‘You must not feel that writing children’s books is a sign of arrested development. In publishing circles, writing for children is regarded as one of the most difficult and demanding, and also one of the most valuable branches of writing.’ – Goodreads Author Page for Joyce West
The Drovers Road trilogy written by Joyce West, set in 1950s New Zealand, is one of those special series that can be enjoyed by a wide range of ages and interest levels. When Tanya Arnold of Biblioguides was getting ready to add this series to their database, she asked me what the main tag would be – ranch life, farm life, family life, nature, or something else. At that point, I had only read the first book and thought the answer would be family life. The first book reminded me of All of a Kind Family or The Mitchells, as the story centered on several members of the family and their daily lives. But, as I read on, I realized that each book has a different flavor and that all of the stories center on one adorable and spirited female protagonist coming of age in the New Zealand Bush Country.
While the first book delights us with the antics and adventures of two cousins who are not quite teenagers, the second and third books focus much more on the girl cousin, Gay, and her life as a horseback-riding, animal-loving sheep rancher. I read the three books quickly over a few days, alternating between my Bethlehem Books spines and their audio versions. My fifteen-year-old son, my eleven-year-old son, and their thirteen-year-old sister, all reveled in the action and adventure of these stories. There is a little bit of romance in all three books, but the story’s main focus is on Gay’s maturing and how she embraces the life of being a ranch owner. While these stories are entirely their own with the sights, sounds, and smell of New Zealand, the story itself reminded me of our favorite coming-of-age stories by Alcott, Montgomery, and Moody with a little animal life seasoning like Herriot thrown in.
We learn almost immediately, as the story begins, that Dunsany Allan is a young bachelor sheep station owner living in the hill country of New Zealand, a hundred miles from Gisborne. Dunsany is the youngest of three brothers. When his oldest brother and sister-in-law died in a car accident, Dunsany adopted the three orphaned children. At nearly the same time, Dunsany’s middle brother divorced his wife and left New Zealand, entrusting his baby girl to Dunsany. Wonderful Aunt Belle moved in to help Dunsany raise the four orphaned cousins, and this nontraditional family has been living this way for more than a dozen years quite happily.
I have made up my mind that while I lie here waiting for my sprained ankle to mend, I shall write a book. It will be about ourselves, the Allan family. About Drovers Road and all our adventures here. And then when we are grown up we can read it and remember how happy we were. Drovers Road is a sheep station a way back in the hill country. Our nearest town is Gisborne, almost 100 miles away. –Drovers Road
As I said above, the books in this series grow with the main character, Gabrielle (Gay) Allan. When we first meet Gay and her cousin Merry (a boy), they are still too young for boarding high school. The last chapter of the last book ends with Gay getting engaged. Despite the fact that the second and third books reflect Gay’s maturing, there is still so much adventure and so many exciting animal stories to keep younger readers interested. In each of the three books, there is some chaste romance and a happy wedding in each book. The inclusion of the Maori people is done well and with respect. These books invite the reader into 1950s New Zealand rather wonderfully in the same way that Ralph Moody’s books invite us into his turn-of-the-century life.
New Zealander Joyce West spent her childhood in the remote country districts where her parents taught in Maori schools. In 1978 she wrote in Twentieth-Century Children’s Writers, ‘We lived far from towns, in a world of bush roads and river crossings; we rode horseback everywhere, and kept a large menagerie of dogs, cats, kittens, ducks, turkeys, pet lambs, and goats… When I began to write, it was with the wish that I might save a little of the charm and flavour of those times and places for the children of today. – About the Author in the Bethlehem Books edition, 2019
One of the reasons I love Bethlehem Books so much is because they have built a carefully curated catalog of wholesome, engaging, and delightful books that will not only entertain, but also edify, our pre-teen and teen readers. Because the books they publish are well-written and about interesting characters in interesting places, they are often appealing to both boys and girls alike. Additionally, many of these living books are being recorded as audiobooks and are priced affordably, which makes it easier for mamas to preview or read along.
Notes on Each Book – Some Spoilers May Be Present
Drovers Road
Cape Lost
The Golden Country
Conclusion:
This series was an unexpected delight. I am confident that I can hand these books over to young readers. Because they are delightful, and because they do have some discussion-worthy aspects to them, I think these would be lovely for a book club for boys and girls, but maybe especially lovely for a Young Ladies Literary Tea.