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:
As I said above, the first book, Drovers Road, reminds me of books like All of a Kind Family or The Mitchells. It also reminds me of the 1950s television series Lassie. Gay and Merry, the two youngest cousins, have been raised almost as twins. They are inseparable, and through them and their misadventures, we learn a great deal about the rest of the family. This book is endearing, and the setting of the New Zealand Bush is exotic to American readers. This one would be a lovely read-aloud with littles, and the audio is great fun.
Parents may wish to know a few things about this book:
- This is a book of its time. Dunsany, the cranky (but very loving) bachelor uncle with a ready-made family, threatens violence against stray animals, and sometimes the children, when they are naughty. Gay carefully tells us that Dunsany is all bark and no bite. There is not much of this in the book, but what is there may bother some families. Consider previewing it in context if you are concerned. I would quote for you, but I think that it is best for you to meet Dunsany on your own terms and draw your own conclusions.
- There is a bit of romance in this book. By the end of the story, Dunsany is engaged. The romance is subtle and always viewed through the eyes of the young narrator.
- Adoptive families may wish to know that there are some real adoption questions in this story. At one point, the children overhear a mean old aunt saying that no one would want to marry Dunsany with his four children. The children fear that they are an impediment to Dunsany’s happiness. It is, of course, resolved beautifully. This theme persists in different forms throughout the three books. Each and every time, it is handled lovingly. But, it does shine a tiny light on the challenges that adoptive families might have when they also have children who are not adopted.
Learn more about this book at Biblioguides, here.
Cape Lost:
This second book is in that sweet spot of coming-of-age. Gay and Merry have gone off to boarding school (as is normal at that time). Gay glosses over her school time and focuses on her holidays at Drovers Road. Gay is still too young to be seriously romantic with anyone, so the romance in this story shifts between her cousin Eve’s engagement and some notice of the boys who are interested in Gay. This book reminds me of Margot Benary Isbert’s Ark, and the 1961 Disney Horsemasters. While there may be boys interested in Gay, they need to be able to ride and hunt to really be noticed by her.
Learn more about this book at Biblioguides, here.
The Golden Country:
I opened the gate, and Lenny Marshall drove the truck through and waited. I climbed back again beside Aunt Belle, and Lenny wrestled with the gear lever. There was not a great deal of room, because Bugle, our big hound dog, was sitting on my feet, and Aunt Belle was nursing a basket with a kitten in it. There were three more dogs in the back of the truck, together with some hens in a coop, suitcases, boxes of books, Aunt Belle’s special gem-irons and coffeepot and copper-bottomed saucepan, my saddle and bridle, Lenny’s guitar and radio set, and two tubs filled with plants for the garden. It was three years since Great-uncle Garnet’s death, three years since I left Drovers Road and Dunsany and Susan and Aunt Belle and the horses, and had gone to Massey Agricultural College to try to learn how to look after the property that had been left to me.
This final installment of the Drovers Road Collection is my favorite of the series. Capable, responsible, and lovable Gay has taken over Cape Lost – the land, the debts, the animals, and the workers. Good Aunt Belle comes with Gay as a housekeeper, mentor, and friend. And, even though it is the 1950s, Cape Lost is so remote that there is no electricity or phone. Life on this ranch requires grit, tenacity, and, occasionally, the help of friends.
Just as Rowan Farm took themes in The Ark and matured them, so it is in this one as well. The romance in this book is more central as there is a love triangle, or maybe even a couple of them. But it continues to be chaste and light. And it ends just as it should.
While the first book gave particular focus to dogs and the second book to horses and riding, this one gives us a greater appreciation for the animals and people on a ranch. It is less detailed than James Herriot’s or Ralph Moody’s books, but it is present and fascinating.
Parents may wish to know the story opens just before Christmas. On Christmas Eve, when no men are on the ranch, an escaped convict turns up. He appears docile, mild-mannered, sad, and maybe even a little kind. Something stirs the women to charity, and they feed him and put him in the barn for the night. The next day, they hide him from all of the family who come for Christmas dinner. A few days later, a policeman arrives looking for the convict, and the women lie to him. Multiple times.
The good news is that he is a good-natured Maori man who had been caught up in a bad situation. He is totally safe. He helps on the ranch over holidays. And he is, in fact, kind. That said, Aunt Belle and Gay took a terrible risk and lied to the people they love and the police in order to cover this up.
Dunsany’s best friend is a young man ten years older than Gay named Clive. Clive surprises Gay and Aunt Belle with a visit shortly after the visit from the policeman. The women tell Clive everything and he persuades the convict to turn himself in. Clive also agrees to help the convict when he gets out of prison at the end of his sentence. Clive handles the situation with much grace and efficiency. And, he leaves the ranch with the convict in his truck. This incident becomes key to the story later on.
It is my sense that West needed to demonstrate that capable Gay is smart and competent, but that she is also naive and still in need of help. The story does give an excellent balance between how much Gay has matured and how young she really is.
Learn more about this book at Biblioguides, here.
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.