Charles G.D. Roberts. THE HEART OF THE ANCIENT WOOD. Reprint, Formac, 2007. First published 1900. Another of the bundle from the Bookman sale bin. Chosen because I recognized the writer as a famous Victorian era Canadian poet and because the setting of this novel is in the woods of New Brunswick where my maternal relatives moved from--to Red River in 1869 and then to BC in 1891, after the railroad put an end to their shipping business.
Written more than 125 years ago yet many themes are still relevant. The mother's wish to escape the hurtful gossip in the settlements. The fey child, talking to, living with the wild creatures. The dangers of vegetarianism. The conflict between hunter and environmentalist/conservationist. The emotional disruptions of adolescence. How out of tragedy some good can come. I really want to believe that the animals, with enough time, can become attuned to which humans are likely to harm them. There is a fair bit of ascribing human emotions to wild creatures. But I'm glad I read it.
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