Book Guide

Through vivid characterizations of people and place, Joyce West's storytelling draws her reader into the richly-textured, rural setting of New Zealand in the mid-20th century.

In this first book, young Gabrielle Allan (called Gay) is living contentedly on Drovers Road, her Uncle Dunsay's sheep station in the hill country a hundred miles from Gisborne. Besides her young bachelor uncle there are her three orphaned cousins—Eve, Hugh and Merry—and their Great-Aunt Belle. Taken in by Dunsany years before, after her parents' divorce, Gay now scarcely remembers any other life. There are lessons at the local school, taught by pretty, sensible Susan Leigh, regular chores, plenty of horse riding and jumping, and pranks with Merry.

Amid unforgettable characters, careless actions and scary consequences, young Gabrielle learns and grows, ever thankful for the shared ups and downs of the unconventional, caring family she has been given.

From the Bethlehem Books edition

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Joyce West

Joyce West

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Drovers Road Reprint

Drovers Road
Reprinted in 2019 by Bethlehem Books
Reprint Cover Art by Julie Kim, Theodore Schluenderfritz
Available formats: Paperback, Ebook
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Content Guide

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Resource Guide

Plumfield Moms Podcast
Podcast

Our Reading Life: March Conversation with Tanya and Sarah
Released in 2023 by Plumfield Moms Podcast
Available formats: Streaming Audio
Length: 47 min.
View on the Plumfield Moms Podcast site

On this episode, we recommended quite a few of our current reads, including:

Tanya Arnold read and recommended two picture book biographies:

Sarah Kim read and recommended:

Sara Masarik read and recommended:

 


Reviews

Plumfield and Paideia

Drovers Road Trilogy
Reviewed by Sara Masarik
Drovers Road, reminds me of books like All of a Kind Family or The Mitchells. It also reminds me of the 1950s television series Lassie. Gay and Merry, the two youngest cousins, have been raised almost as twins. They are inseparable, and through them and their misadventures, we learn a great deal about the rest of the family. This book is endearing, and the setting of the New Zealand Bush is exotic to American readers. This one would be a lovely read-aloud with littles, and the audio is great fun.

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