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good reads see also good look-sees | |
 by Anne Barclay Priest 2006 |
'stopping by... ...Soho Publishing's office a while ago, I noticed the book, Trafficking in Sheep sitting on Tanis Gray's desk. She said it was quite a good read - and what with such a charming cover, I made a note to pick it up. Last week, I tossed it into my bag for Spring vacation reading and was pleased indeed that I did. It's the second or even perhaps the third chapter in what so far has been the very interesting life of Anne Barclay Priest as she endeavored to keep sheep on Blue Island in Nova Scotia and later on in upstate New York as well. I was totally taken up by Priest's story and I think even more than the sheep keeping I was riveted by her independence, work ethic and compassion in doing so. Her sojourn in Nova Scotia was also of interest to me as my maternal grandmother was from nearby Lockeport and I have family still residing in Shelburne today. It was said the Lewis' got to Nova Scotia after fleeing Philadelphia in the 18th century; as loyalists to the crown during the the American Revolution they were not welcomed stateside. In 1916, my grandmother traveled to Boston in search of a nurse's position during the First World War. Although my mother was born a Bostonian, we grew up hearing stories about Down East in Nova Scotia - a term Mainers use as well. I have a souvenir of sorts from nana Myrtle's days on NS - a handmade wool carder - easily more than a hundred years old. I knew there had to be wool in the blood somewhere! After reading the book both Tanis and I felt as if we too wanted to become shepherdesses - I even went so far as to google Nova Scotia real estate listings - $88K will get you 10 acres and a cottage with a view of McNutt Island - Anne Priest's neighborhood. But back to reality - we then thought that it would be splendid, not to mention a bit cheaper, to lunch with Ms. Priest someday... |