On Whale Island

April 8, 2002
In his previous book, My Old Man and the Sea, Hays and his father built a sailing boat and navigated around Cape Horn. Theirs was a heartfelt tale of adventure, family and the good old days. Hoping to pull those same heartstrings here, Hays places himself in a Walden-like wilderness. Bored with convention and surviving on diminishing royalty checks, Hays decides to move his family—wife, stepson, dogs and all—to the middle of nowhere for a year. Handily, he already owns a 50-acre wilderness called Whale Island, just off the coast of Nova Scotia and the perfect venue for such an enterprise. The text chronicles those 365 days (wife Wendy refused any more) and is as self-conscious as the move itself, comprising Hays's condescending accounts of his efforts to live deliberately, Thoreau-style, despite the objections of the Tupperware and latté-loving Wendy. Her own writings, and those of his son, are peppered throughout. Not that Hays thinks he is perfect—but he casts himself so enthusiastically as the wronged Woody Allen or John Kennedy Toole hero, he seems a self-perpetuating stereotype.

February 1, 2003
A writer, sometime teacher, sailor/sea captain, tae kwon do black belt, and general misfit, Idahoan Hays wanted to own and live on his own island. He locates an island off Nova Scotia, and his wife and stepson agree to honor his wish for one year. The purchase, planning, and execution of his plan provide the basis for this program. While nothing tremendously exciting really happens, the story is well told, and the day-to-day issues are approached with humor and resourcefulness. Written as a diary, this work is logically organized, easy to follow, and usually interesting. Spending much time on his worries about his relationship with his stepson, Hays also variously muses about the nature of his relationship with his wife, dogs, and the world. When he starts describing his dreams in great detail, many listeners will reach for the fast forward; unfortunately, he does this five or six stupefying times. Well read by Bruce Altman, this program will intrigue those yearning to escape contemporary society and return to nature. Hays's report will be of interest to those who share some version of that dream.-Carolyn Alexander, Brigadoon Lib., Corral de Tierra, CA

Copyright 2003 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.