Flight of the Heron read-along: Part V chapters 1-2

[regshoe]

Tha's bahn' to catch thy deeath o' cowd...

Welcome back, everyone, and happy new year! We embark on the final Part...

Next week we'll continue with chapters 3 and 4 of Part V.

Comments

[sanguinity]

I agree about Aunt Margaret taking care to fake the burning of Ardroy! Really all through these chapters, we have so many people being clever and brave and good -- the girl, Fosdyke, Jan, Aunt Margaret, Marsali... I love everyone in this bar.

And Lassie is such a good girl to find Ewen! I know Ewen wouldn't have hurt the dog, but I could still very much feel Fosdyke's distress that Lassie might get stabbed by the rebel she flushed. Why that fear should be so agonizing to me given everything else, I don't know, but it was very important to me that in all this desperation and heartbreak, this one happy creature should be allowed to keep her happiness.

[killclaudio]

Me too, I wouldn't have been able to handle it if Lassie had been hurt. She's just being a good girl! And I like that part of the reason Fosdyke decides to help Ewen is because he refused to hurt her.

[sanguinity]

There's something so straightforward about the dog's point of view: "Here is a person in distress! Come help the person in distress!" Which is the way it should be, honestly, and isn't nearly often enough.

[killclaudio]

Exactly! Dogs are such great role models, honestly. ♥

[friendofthejabberwock]

I also really liked how Fosdyke helps Ewen partially because he doesn't harm Lassie -- he has excellent priorities. :D

[killclaudio]

Lassie is a good judge of character, and obviously Fosdyke knows it. ;D

[regshoe]

Really all through these chapters, we have so many people being clever and brave and good -- the girl, Fosdyke, Jan, Aunt Margaret, Marsali... I love everyone in this bar.

Aww, yes <3

Lassie is great. Amidst all the difficulties of these chapters, a dog simply being a good dog and showing kindness and liking towards Ewen, and being shown kindness in return, does stand out as a terribly important thing—I think because, as you say, it's so simple and straightforward a piece of goodness.