The journeying boy

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

In this affecting odyssey, White ( The Land God Made in Anger ) returns to Cardiff in his native Wales, a city much changed since his boyhood. In clear, emotionally charged prose, he considers Wales's ancient past, its English conquerors, the Celtic language and facets of the singular national character. A poor, tough people, inherently romantic and mystical, buoyed by their music and proud of their King Arthur, the Welsh claim an unusual number of famous figures, we're reminded. In White's theorizing, such achievers as Dylan Thomas and Richard Burton die before their time from drink, unable to live with the hurts inflicted by four centuries of British domination. (Aug.)

Library Journal

White, author of nearly 30 books of fiction, history, and travel (e.g., The Land That God Made in Anger , LJ 9/15/69; Nightclimber , LJ 9/1/68), decides at the age of 64 to return to Wales, the land of his youth. Much is the same there, despite the passage of time. White discovers that he is still tied to his birth land by that which all Welsh have in common: religion, landscape, music, and the history of the country. His travelog combines history and personal narrative, introducing kings and queens of old as well as common Welsh people of today. Ultimately, the journey is a celebration of his past ties, and a prescription for healing the wounds of his present. White's The Journeying Boy is recommended for large travel collections and for specialized collections dealing with Wales and Welsh history.-- Lisa J. Cochenet, Rhinelander Dist . Lib., Wis.