Reviews for Clare Stewart: And her Angel Aunt down Under

The average rating for Clare Stewart: And her Angel Aunt down Under based on 2 reviews is 3.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2016-03-23 00:00:00 Reva Schreuer In "Within This Wilderness," a mother spends several weeks with her son, who years earlier ran away to the Canadian wilderness and has lived off the land since. Over the course of her vacation of sorts, the mother learns just how capable her son is at surviving, while also trying to convince him to return to the real world. "Within This Wilderness" is a story of survival, in every sense of the world. On one hand, we see how the author's son, known as "Ben," has survived over seven years on his own, building his own home in the Canadian woods and built a life for himself, even if that life constantly exists on shaky ground. But on the other, we have a slight battle of wills between mother and son, as the mother tries to navigate the topic of bringing him back to civilization, without overdoing it or losing her welcome. Something about the way Feenie Ziner writes about the wilderness never engaged me as well as I hoped it would. I don't feel like I ever got a great sense of Ben's surroundings or the lay of the land, even though Ziner tries her best to describe it. But what won me over about "Within This Wilderness" was the relationship dynamics between Ben, his mother, and the few scattered people who also live near him. The arrival of Ben's mother shakes up this area of wilderness, bringing a new face to the group of hippies and spiritual guides that live in the area. For some, she's a motivator, while to others, she's a student of sorts. Everyone has a unique dynamic with this new arrival, but I particularly love the mom's friendship to the eccentric Buddhi who lives close to her son. But with this group, Ben's mom shows that her experience, and her life in the cities that they hate so much, has importance even in their isolated existence. But the core of "Within This Wilderness" is that bond between mother and son, and it's fascinating to see how that relationship develops over the course of a few weeks. In the beginning, it seems like Ben is crazy and his mom desperately needs to save him, and by the end, this dynamic has shifted drastically. By the end, "Within This Wilderness" becomes a lovely story about letting go, both by allowing the ones you love to live the life they want to live, but also about letting go of the mistakes of the past and not letting it necessarily decide your future as well.

Review # 2 was written on 2011-07-28 00:00:00 Vivek Bhardwaj I like the simplicity and profoundness of the story and how it presents different relationships with a new perspective. The story is light, something that you would like to read with evening tea.