Customer Reviews

Don't Kill the Cow Too Quick: An Englishman’s Adventures Homesteading in Panama

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a wonderful book for anyone who enjoys reading real life stories written by real life "pioneers.." but if you are an expat living abroad, or thinking about becoming one, or ever were one, you MUST buy this book! Its informative, funny and the writer makes you feel you are right there with him, his family and friends. I am only half way through and I can't put it down!

Brilliant!This transplanted Bocatoreno captures and captivates your attention with his narrative adventures in Panama. Successfully combines comedy, tragedy and triumphantly achieves a writing style all of his own. A win/win situation for this writer and this island. A wonderful wealth of information for run-away retirees and also a wonderful lesson that it is never too late to pursue your dreams, be it writing or retiring to an island. May the inspiration that the author found in Panama lead him to write again, books not only confined to life in Panama, but by following his instincts and his unique writing style where ever that may lead.....

Mr. Henderson confesses to not having written before, but you could have fooled me. This book was a joy to read! Unlike many such books, this was doesn't bore its reader with endless detail but, rather, informs through selective "vignettes" which are entertaining as well as informative. I couldn't put it down. As my husband and I own property in Panama and plan to retire there soon, I admittedly had a vested interest in learning more about the country. But I think I would have enjoyed this read if it had been set anywhere in the world.

Mr. Malcolm (as he's called in the book) is a kind hearted fellow and I found this memoir to be a very enjoyable read. Other books talk about the nuts and bolts of retiring to Panama while this one does a nice job of telling what the experience is actually like. If you are considering moving to Panama, this book is required reading.

Reading of Mr. Malcolm's exploits does beg the question, "When does one man's success become society's failure?"

Malcolm has a house on a Bocas island with 25 acres of rain forest, a 5 - 10 minute boat ride to town. He didn't like the "public" town dock, so he bought an oceanfront parcel in town to make his own dock. On that parcel he built the biggest house in Bocas in which, according to his words, "the majority of Bocas families live in a space no bigger than our downstairs dining area." The house has an upstairs dining area as well. Malcolm also bought a 21 acre farm (with yet another house he built) on the lagoon. He also owns a "mansion" (his words) in Tampa (later sold for a cushy condo), a home of some sort in Virginia, as well as his business holdings to do with his wife's art career.

To make up for his "largess" he did resolve to rent out the bottom part of his downtown Bocas mansion, but only to professionals like a doctor or lawyer, not too the needy families living in the tiny shack. How is that for social action!

If you are keeping score, Malcolm has 46+ acres of land and 5 homes a varying extravagance + businesses, while the average Bocas family lives in a one room shack, owns no businesses, and survives on low wages paid by the likes of Mr. Malcolm.

The financial gap between Mr. Malcolm's empire and that typical Bocas family living in a 14 X 20 ft shack is a massive gap. What effect does such large financial power moving to Bocas have on the native people? What long term effect does sky rocketing land prices have on future generations of poor Panamanians who had a hard time affording property before the boom? What is going to happen when more and more wealthy gringos move in? What happens to the natives when the force of the American real estate market is transposed upon Bocas, a market they can never afford to be a part of?

True, Malcolm gave some bags of cement to a local school, ensured that jailed Panamanian women have soap while incarcerated, bought the mayor an air conditioner, financed a 10' X 10' garden for the growing of medicinal plants to cure snake bites, and furthered the long standing tradition of boosting employment via low wages (enough to get by, not enough to move to a higher class).

But is that charity fair compensation for the loss of their country, the loss of the ability of future generations of natives to own their own land?

It would be interesting if a neutral economist would conduct a study examining the long term economic effects on average natives when wealthy people like Mr. Malcolm, albeit a kinder gentler landowner, invade their domain.

All that aside, the book is a good read, recommended.

The fashionable literary genre of narrative writing about radical lifestyle changes has been greatly enhanced by this compelling and hilarious series of vignettes set in a hitherto little-known but stunningly beautiful Central American archipelago. Malcolm Henderson's impulsive decision to buy, at first sight, a house and a tropical rain forest on two neighbouring islands, sets in motion an extraordinary chan of events, supported by a cast of memorable characters, brilliantly illustrating the paradox of the western image of paradise in the 21st century. But equally, it is also a glowing testament to the respect and affection of a quintessentially English gentleman for the multi-faceted and multi-ethnic people of Bocas del Toro as they become bound together on a voyage of self-discovery and personal growth.
Richard Paris
Travel Writer
London

This book is a must read for anyone living or thinking of living in Central America. It is an informative life experience of a homesteader in Panama. The book is interesting, easy to read and humorous.

This is a fascinating story that makes you feel as though you are there with Malcom as he goes through the trial and tribulation of homesteading in the northern provinces of Panama.

It almost makes me want to give up the rat race and move to Panama.

Ewald Wiberg
author of The Perfect Vacation

Look at a map of Central America then zoom in on Panama. Just south of the border of Costa Rica on the Caribbean shore is the archipeligo of Bocas del Toro. As the author says, Bocas del Toro is like Key West was in the 1920's just getting noticed by tourist, retirees and developers. This is a small city on a tropical island with the surronding islands, coral reefs, beaches, small farms, tropical forests and mangroves, the area that Malcom Henderson and his wife settled to live the years of their life after age 60. This book is his story of finding the area, settling there and working to fit in by building a home in town and starting a ranch (finca) on the mainland.

Henderson has an unusual writing style, very personal, like writing a diary. Some of the chapters have abrupt endings that seem a bit odd in the way that perhaps your grandfather would have told a story that takes a while to register than you get the meaning of it. His writing flows better through the book and makes it hard to put down by the end. Henderson also has a well developed sense of humor and perhaps this follows from some of the laughable situations that he gets into that still maintain the admiration of his friends. I felt a sense of loss when I finished the book, wanting to continue to hear his stories about Panama and the people of the Bocas del Toro region.

I purchased this book mainly to learn more of this region from the expatriat's viewpoint but I picked up much more than that. Anyone moving to a foreign country should anticipate the potential conflict of gringo and latino, foreigner and national, impoverished and wealthy, and greedy and charitable. Henderson covers all of this and it is a tribute to this book that he tells it with insight, humor and is able to evoke some of the essence of the region for us.

I am looking forward to reading a book with the Panamanian's view of the changes in the Bocas del Toro region next.

I have just finished reading, for the second time, Malcolm Henderson's enchanting tour of a marvelous part of the world and his introduction to some wonderful people. Mr. Henderson has what other writers wish they had, the innate gift of being able to tell a story. In this delightful book Mr. Henderson displays the qualities of a Mark Twain, or Ambrose Bierce in that regard. This book would make an excellent addition to University classes in creative writing and psychology courses on social psychology. Mr. Henderson succeeds in taking us to Bocas Del Toro, sharing his relationships with interesting people, and engages us in the desire to live with and assist however we can, both the indigenous tribal natives and other Panamanians. He is candid in the things he probably should not have done, as well as in those things he did well. You will become engrossed in this book as it is truly a relaxing, entertaining, and informative work. Human behavior is remarkably different in different cultures and Mr. Henderson introduces us to a truly admirable culture in Panama, in a truly admirable manner. Sit back, read, enjoy. I look forward to other offerings by this author.

Malcolm Henderson, a well-known resident of Bocas, has written a book that fully captures the lifestyle of the expat resident. With wit, irony and lots of heart, Don't Kill the Cow Too Quick (great title!) is a must-read for anyone considering an escape to paradise showing all the ups and downs of living in a new culture and trying to adapt to same.

Can't wait for the sequel!

Cindy Cody, author Hubba Hubba