Description

In this excellent book Ecotts evocative telling makes me want to go to this weird and wonderful place PAUL THEROUX

I never want to leave the remote island world so atmospherically precisely educed between the covers of this book Ecotts prose has the power of tides his perception is as searching as the Atlantic wind and he has the soul of a naturalborn naturalist A masterpiece JOHN LEWISSTEMPLE

Following the natural cycle of the year The Land of Maybe captures the essence of slow life on the 18 remote mysterious islands which make up the Faroes in the North Atlantic Closer to the UK than Denmark this fast disappearing world is home to a closeknit society where just 50000 people share Viking roots and a language that is unlike any other in Scandinavia

We follow the arrival of the migratory birds the overwintering of the sheep and the way food is gathered and eaten in tune with the seasons Buffeted by the weather and the demands of a volatile natural environment people still hunt seabirds and herd pilot whales for a significant portion of their basic food needs

This is not a travelogue but a deeper exploration of how to be in a tough landscape a study of a people and a way of life that represents continuity and a deep connection to the past The Land of Maybe offers not just a refuge from the freneticism of modern life but lessons about where we come from and how we may find a balance in our lives