Matt McAvoy Book Review

You’ll love this sublime and beautiful anthology of parables, in which the wise and aged Tortoise is portrayed as a learned prophet among the animal kingdom of the Sonoran Desert, as he makes his final journey across the arid home he loves, imparting his lessons of life and spirituality to those he encounters: the Coyote, the Rattlesnake and more.  The entirety of nature’s gifts become Tortoise’s analogical narrative devices, the geographical landscape descriptively crafted with a bold palette.  The lessons themselves are of course deeply philosophical, and metaphors for our own fears, self-doubts, overconfidences, overanalyses, perceived failures and expectations as humans; the themes are of patience like the trees, perseverance like the river, and many, many more such profundities.  However, of equal prominence to the primary premise is the author’s undeniable love affair with the region, which is painted in glorious detail.

This is a truly lovely book to read, by Mike Walker, which really succeeds in achieving what it sets out to be: a relatable, thought-provoking metaphor and a superior piece of literary fiction.  The writing is wonderful – although, if I am being hyper-critical, due to its multi-timeline format, it did seem to chop and change between tenses on occasion.  Still, this is something only an analytical reader might consider, and it didn’t hinder my enjoyment of the book in any way.  The writing is very good; as the reader, you really feel the heat of the stifling desert the plight of the animals, some of which find it incredibly tough just to survive – also, of course, the metaphors are clearly presented and understood.  This is a read which is entertaining and spiritually informative, light enough to enjoy yet deep enough to encourage layered introspection.  The Tortoise has a great deal to teach us all about the bustle of life, the speed, the wasted energy, the expectations we place upon ourselves – indeed, all things contrary to the true benefits of life, in one of the most nature-rich domains on our planet.  It is a book which is suitable and equally enjoyable for adults and children alike, though to some extent I think the former might find it of greater personal benefit, for it is the older readers who will more readily, and absolutely should, understand and absorb its sermon.

This is a fantastic effort by Mike.  He is a literary author of the highest standard; you can’t deny the masterclass influence of Native American spirituality in his work – it would be interesting to know how many of these tales are inspired by or based directly on Native fables.  There is a comprehensive glossary at the end of the book, which is a very helpful and welcome educational appendix in its own right.  All in all, sit down and enjoy, but be prepared for self-reflection; this book will compel you to calm and reset, whether you want to or not.