Reviews for Freedom Is a Wobbly Sack

The average rating for Freedom Is a Wobbly Sack based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2012-11-28 00:00:00 Gloria Seborg Originally written around 1809, this charming little memoir of a seafaring cat laid unpublished until 1973 since when it has become a popular little work. Matthew Flinders spent most of his time in the navy circumnavigating Australia and with him from 1799-1804 went his little black cat Trim. Trim had a great time on board ship, being treated right royally by the crew and having an interesting relationship with the dogs on board, over whom he ruled with a paw of iron. Flinders and company were shipwrecked and later imprisoned. Trim stayed with them but then, making excursions into the surrounding neighbourhood but always returning, it was a sad day when he eventually disappeared for good, despite a reward of 10 Spanish dollars being offered for his safe return. Flinders, who was unsurprisingly distraught, wrote of him as 'my faithful intelligent Trim ... the sporting, affectionate and useful companion of my voyages during four years' and wondered 'to take thee all in all, shall I see thy like again?' I suspect the answer was 'No' but Trim's likeness does now appear in bronze in Macquarie Street, Sydney, just behind the tall figure of his master. Footnote: How strange that this book should suddenly come to the surface as Matthew Flinders' coffin has just this week (January 2019) been discovered in the work going on around London Euston railway station. He died in 1814.

Review # 2 was written on 2019-03-22 00:00:00 Rhonda Gilbert Such a beautiful, heartwarming dedication to Flinders’ faithful companion and friend. There’s lots of gorgeous nuggets in this little tome, but one of my favourites was: “Finding at length that nature had not designed him an astronomer, Trim had too much good sense to continue a useless pursuit; but a musket ball slung with a piece of twine, and made to whirl round upon the deck by a slight motion of the finger, never failed to attract his notice and give him pleasure...” There’s also a particularly cute little passage where Trim is having a conversation with William the gun room steward after Trim’s been naughty and stolen some of his breakfast. So glad I happened across this and can now keep it in my shelves.