Sacred Country

Rose Tremain never disappoints. This is a powerful book about a very tricky subject that the author treats with great sensitivity, especially considering it covers those decades of the sixties and seventies in England when so many changes were underway, though transgender largely ignored for all but those who had to struggle to be recognised. Leaving the subject matter aside for a moment, our narrator, Mary drives the story forward. I was astounded by so early on in the first chapter she makes the statement that "That is a mistake. I am not a girl, I am a boy". The simplicity of that statement belies the complexity of Mary's journey to become Martin, with each family member having their rightful place, some, it has to be said, who are more attractive than others................Not a word is out of place in this moving story. Just take the simple act of putting glasses on as Mary does, which the author so rightly describes as "She attached her glasses to her ears". Glasses in those days did go around your ears with elasticated wire. Then there are the graphic descriptions the heat and cold, the floods and droughts, the changing seasons and the hardships that those who lived off the land in post WWII rural England had to endure.Rose Tremaine brings it all to life.The author has clearly researched the issue of transgenderism (?) in considerable detail, giving us a real insight through Mary/Martin to the desperate struggle these divided individuals face. But that is not the only theme of this novel, whose prose is amongst some of the most vivid of modern times.

This was a very moving story about gender identity and the disappointments of childhood. The characters were well developed and I found myself identifying with several of them. This story is sad in many ways but my enjoyment of the book stems from its unusual story line and the way Tremain weaves her narrative. I highly recommend it but it's not for the faint of heart. There are very sad, lonely sections of the story that touch the heart quite deeply. She has woven a complex tale that any serious reader would enjoy.

I had put off reading this book for years because of a review I had read saying it was about a girl who wanted to be a boy. The book was actually the story of several different people and the different journeys they took to find themselves. It is wonderfully written and I am only sorry I didn't read it sooner. I highly recommend it.

Good exploration of the difficulties faced by a girl in a poor environment, feeling she is really a boy in a girl's body. It makes for a sad read at times, but the human spirit triumphs over time, with support of interesting and special people in her life. I felt enriched by the book, so very different from "The Colour" or Tremain's historical novels which I also loved.

This book captures the radical shift in British society, both socially and culturally, which took place in Britain's post-war years through to the 1970s. The changes reflected are illustrated through the lives individuals from a small rural community. The story is realistic and very moving.

Thanks

nice read

What a disappointment this book turned out to be.I had enjoyed previous books by this author and so was surprised to find this offering unattractive in style, character portrayal and story.I couldn't wait to reach the end, even that was poor.

Mores sadness, lost hope, found hope. Youthful dreams, old age nightmares, more child abuse and bitter fruit. Waiting for the boat to come in that crashed on rocks years ago. Loose family ties. Reminiscing that becomes punishment. Buried seeds that died as soon as sewn. I always feel melancholic after reading Tremain, sometimes exhausted. Am i being manipulated by her, forcing me to feel something that is never joy from most of her novels. She has a formula and writes to it, but I often feel sucked dry and hopeless at the end of each book. Maybe each of her books should come with prozac...but I still wiped tears with her words and turned each page waiting like her characters for redemption. Pain pays I guess

The first quarter of this wonderful book took some getting into. Mary/Martin's gender-identity struggle really absorbed me, but the numerous other stories were distracting. In Part Two, however, the purpose of the extensive web of characters became clear, and from then on I loved every page of it.It's a novel about the journeys of people's lives, and the factors - controllable or otherwise - that shape them. In particular, it focuses on the struggles of non-conformists, and people trapped where they don't want to be: in the wrong body; in mental illness; in a small village, with a mind-numbing job. It will especially touch readers who, as children, were 'different' and felt the pain and loneliness of hiding something (the 'am I the only one?' syndrome). It's frequently a sad book, at least until personal triumphs come for some, towards the end. But it's written so beautifully, and with such a thirst for life, that it's never depressing. And there are lovely touches of humour. It was hard to put down.Rose Tremain made me feel so much about her characters, and drew me in so completely, that I shall buy her other books unseen. She has convinced me that she will always be imaginative, interesting and compassionate.Update, July 2009: I've read her others now, and although I think 'Sacred Country' is the best, I also loved 'The Road Home' and 'The Way I Found Her' (although the latter was marred by an ending that didn't feel credible). Rose Tremain sure knows how to write, and I will always watch out for her.

I came to this earlier book after 'The Road Home', 'the Colour' and 'Music and Silence' and found it even better then them.From 1952 to 1980 the wonderfully drawn characters' lives develop and unfold - creating an empathy where all became totally believable without ever being ordinary. I happen to have lived through these years, as did the author, and it was a wistful pleasure to relive the events so accurately described. At the end, in 1980, I almost wished the tale would continue past the open ended resolution.Gentle, sad, funny, memorable.Just a couple of quotes:'I wish I'd known years ago that the Pursuit of Happiness was a right. In Swaithly it wasn't, was it?''No,' I said. 'It was a wrong''One can endure it when certain things are in the past, but when almost everything is in the past, the present is too lonely.'

Mary, Walter and Timmy were unfulfilled in different ways. Each had the courage to totally change their lives and find some measure of happiness. A hopeful story. The characters, were well drawn and the reader cared about them.A typical Rose Tremain story. Very enjoyable and thought provoking.

I've just finished reading this book .. I've been enjoying it so much that I've been rationing it .. I didn't want it to finish .. I know I'll read it again, after a 'suitable interval' .. There are many characters, one reviewers wrote 'too many'. I don't agree. I enjoyed all of them, each one 'coping with life' in her or his own way. Other reviewers have described some of what happens much better than I can