Bridget's Reviews > Sewing Moonlight

Oooo it's tricky when someone you know writes a book. What if you don't like it? But I did. I really really did like it.
This is historical fiction, set just along the highway from the place I grew up in. It begins in 1928 and the story takes us through to the end of WW2 and this is the story of Wilhelm Erdinger, a young German man who has washed up, literally as his boat is wrecked and he is rescued by locals, in a town called Falters Mill. This is a town in the back of beyond, where strangers don't often arrive. After a series of misstarts Wilhelm who becomes Bill to the locals, acquires a piece of land and through trials, many and varied, begins to be able to support a frugal lifestyle with the things he grows following the teachings of Steiner and reading Goethe to soothe his soul and to give him company on the long evenings alone. Over time Wilhelm makes a few friends, suffers tragedy, is unlucky in love and then discovers love and companionship. All through the story his life is ruled by the vagaries of the harsh weather, he is plagued by drought, pests and angry farmers who are distrustful of this kind, sweet man so different from themselves.

This story deals with a lot of issues, the awful attitudes and suspicion of the local families towards Wilhelm, the awful thing that happened to him as a young man and the reason for his being in NZ. He is a lonely man, even when in good company he is inherently apart, and this pervades the book. I found this so moving. In this novel we are cheering for poor Wilhelm, hoping that things will work out for him. I felt such sadness for him when his beloved animals died and the tragedy that happens towards the end of the book is just crushing. While it is all very tragic, this book is infused with a love of his chosen lifestyle, a total appreciation for nature and the land he loves.

A beautiful book, a joy to read and I congratulate Kyle on creating a character that I became totally invested in. Lovely stuff.