Customer Reviews

Of This Earth: A Mennonite Boyhood in the Boreal Forest 

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From the first page, I could see why "Of This Earth" won the Charles Taylor Prize. I had read two of Rudy Wiebe's other books, "Stolen Life" and "Peace Shall Destroy Many", and thought them well written, but the writing in this book is amazing! It's original and intricate and yet it never distracts or confuses, painting the scenes of a life so clearly that the reader is standing right beside young Rudy as he runs under the belly of a draft horse or sits at the kindergarten table in a one-room school house. I know I'll read this book over and over just to enjoy the way he uses words. It's a masterpiece!

I was unable to finish reading this book. I gave it a hundred-plus pages, but it just never seemed to go anywhere. Even the constant use of words, phrases and sentences rendered in the "Russian Mennonite Low German" dialect that Wiebe's family spoke at home quickly became tedious and redundant. I can see where OF THIS EARTH might be interesting to folks who grew up in that area during that era and perhaps to those who share the same ethnic background, but for me it was in the end a disappointment and just plain tedious. And I usually like to read about other people's early lives, how ever different they might be from my own. The narrative here just didn't move the reader forward. For a much more interesting and enjoyable book on growing up in the Canadian bush, I would recommend Farley Mowat's Born Naked: The Early Adventures of the Author of Never Cry Wolf. - Tim Bazzett, author of the memoir BOOKLOVER

This is the first of Rudy Wiebe's books that I've read, but I plan to look for others. Mr. Weibe writes this book as a loving memory of his childhood in the boreal forests of Canada around the time of WWII. His parents had escaped the terrors of Stalinist Russia around the time he was born, and then eked out a living by farming.

I was entranced by his descriptions of his chldhood - the animals, the seasons, his extended family living nearby, the school he attended, and his memories of the joys of just being a boy. Like most farm communities, there are deaths, injuries, scandals, and a social life centered around church and neighbors. He describes the wonders of listening to the radio, tasting chocolate for the first time, and riding in a car, but always speaks with respect about the traditions and beliefs of his Mennonite family.

Mr. Wiebe has a wonderful way with words, taking the reader back in his memories until you feel you are there. I highly recommend this book.