Reminiscent of Oscar and Lucinda, this is the story of an imaginative child raised in the intolerant atmosphere of New Zealand's Christian Brethren. Elsdon Bird is an affectionate and imaginative child raised in a family steeped in the religious intolerance of the Christian Brethren sect. When his father is fired from his city workplace for proselytizing and trying to "save" his coworkers, the Birds are forced to leave Wellington and their odd-ball neighbors with whom the lonely, marginalized boy had some affinity, and move to a small, remote town in the north. Here, life might have changed for the better, but instead the family begins to disintegrate. Socially isolated beyond regular infusions of bigotry from the other Brethren families or "holy rollers" in the town, his parents descend further into a rigid looking-glass world of religious fundamentalism that uses Elsdon as a whipping boy for all its frustrations. Driven more and more into himself and inspired by The Jungle Book, Elsdon builds a fragile internal world maintained by conversations with cows and sheep. He also talks to a small voice in his head which, for a time, is the closest thing he has to a confidant. Yet, when a sequence of disasters finally breaks up the family, the endearing Elsdon's amazing resilience and precocious humanity see him win through in the end.

Redemption of Elsdon Bird (Arena Bks.)

Literature & Fiction

Virtue, Noel

Contemporary

Arrow Books (A Division of Random House Group)

Set in New Zealand in the 1950s, the action takes place mostly on the outskirts of Opononi, a rundown seaside resort. Effie and her adopted teenage son Lubin have recently moved there, hoping to escape a past that includes a string of bad debts and a mercy killing: together they suffocated Effie's ailing street-preacher husband. But when Lubin accidently murders their landlord, events are unleashed that force the two to become accountable for both deaths, and Effie, at least, comes to terms with the past. Critically praised in Great Britain, this highly accessible book should win Virtue new readers."" - Publishers Weekly.

Then Upon the Evil Season

Among the Animals: A Zookeeper's Story

Virtue worked as Head Keeper at a number of zoos. In this book, compared by some to the work of James Heriot, he draws on his rich experience to write affectionately of his life among animals. An engaging memoir...leaves the reader in a state of contentment."" - Publishers Weekly. ""A lively memoir which will appeal to all who enjoy true animal stories."" - Church Times.

Engineering & Transportation

Engineering

Peter Owen Ltd

<p>A black comedy set in New Zealand, by one of its foremost novelists. This was the follow-up to the remarkably success of The Redemption of Elsdon Bird.</p>

British & Irish

Peter Owen Publishers

<p>Virtue worked as Head Keeper at a number of zoos. In this book, compared by some to the work of James Heriot, he draws on his rich experience to write affectionately of his life among animals. An engaging memoir...leaves the reader in a state of contentment."" - Publishers Weekly. ""A lively memoir which will appeal to all who enjoy true animal stories."" - Church Times.</p>

Biographies & Memoirs

The Redemption of Elsdon Bird (Peter Owen Modern Classic)

<p><div>Elsdon Bird is an affectionate and imaginative child raised in a family steeped in the religious intolerance of the Christian Bretheren sect. When Dad gets sacked from his city workplace for proselytising and trying to "save" his workmates, the Birds are forced to leave Wellington and their odd-ball neighbors with whom the lonely, marginalized boy had some affinity, and move to a small, remote town in the north. Here, life might have changed for the better, but instead the family begins to disintegrate and Elsdon's parents descend further into a rigid looking-glass world of religious fundamentalism that uses Elsdon as a whipping boy for all its frustrations. Part of the new look Peter Owen Modern Classics range featuring a logo crafted by graphic design icon Alvin Lustig</div></p>

The Redemption of Elsdon Bird (Peter Owen Modern Classics (2021))

Literary

The redemption of Elsdon Bird

GROVE PRESS

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Virtue, Noel. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Virtue, Noel

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Virtue, Noel. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Redemption of Elsdon Bird (Arena Bks.)

Then Upon the Evil Season

Among the Animals: A Zookeeper's Story

Then Upon the Evil Season

Among the Animals: A Zookeeper's Story

The Redemption of Elsdon Bird (Peter Owen Modern Classic)

The Redemption of Elsdon Bird (Peter Owen Modern Classics (2021))

The redemption of Elsdon Bird