Jean Sheldon, click
here to update your pages on AuthorsDen.
Blogs by Jean Sheldon
An Uncommon Magpie born on the Common 7/26/2007 5:15:43 AM
This is a review of 'Daydreams, Moonbeams and Wings over the Common(From the Tail of a Magpie)' by a fellow AD member, Louisa Middleton-Blake
We meet Maggie in Sussex, in the South of England, and follow him to Wales where he takes us on adventures to the farthest reaches of the Otherworld. Maggie is a Magpie and the tale told by his ‘Pinky’ is extraordinary. “Pinkies is wot I calls you humans,” he answered crossly.
Maggie’s ‘Pinky’ found him on the ground as a baby, about to become fodder for two food seeking crows. She rescued the little Magpie and nursed him back to health, unaware of what a large amount of mischief one tiny bird would wreak.
‘Daydreams’ is not simply a book about a mischievous bird. It contains some rich history, both personal and of the area. It describes the sights, sounds, and smells of places I have never had an opportunity to see, but now feel I know a little at least. It contains mythological stories related by some of Maggie’s various feathered acquaintances and by Maggie himself. (Although, he often seemed to make things up as he went along).
'Daydreams, Moonbeams and Wings over the Common (From the Tail of a Magpie)', like its title, is a long read, and I loved every page. I found myself nearing the end of my workday and looking forward to the fact that soon I would be comfortable in my chair with my cat in my lap, and Maggie filling my mind with his wit and wisdom. Maggie and his pinky split the chapters so that half of the voice is his own.
Louisa Middleton-Blake wrote a delightful book and her imagination is amazing. Visit this refreshing look at life. I suggest you make it a point to meet Maggie, an uncommon Magpie born on the Common.
