57. Swallows and Amazons – Arthur Ransome (100 book challenge)

After the Bible, I needed something light and easy, and this one was the perfect choice from the remaining books on my 100 Book Challenge tally.

Swallows and Amazons is a children’s book first published in 1930, about four kids who go on a sailing adventure to an island where they camp for a week in the summer. It’s as long as an adult book, but much more fun. It had none of the heavy themes or complex language that most books have, and so I was able to simply sit back and enjoy. But that’s not to say I didn’t get anything from it – quite the opposite.

At first, I couldn’t believe that a parent would let their children – including one who couldn’t swim yet – on a sailing boat on a lake without life jackets. But once I got over that initial shock, the kids quickly won me over with their skills and maturity. John took his role of protecting his crew very seriously. And the mate Susan did too, making sure they never embarked, even on a short journey, without a kettle and milk for tea. The kids pitched tents, climbed trees, navigated in the dark, and little Roger – much to my relief – even taught himself how to swim. The mother visited the island every couple of days with cakes and love, but other than that they were left to their own devices.

The freedom the parents gave got me thinking, almost a century later, about my own kids and my parenting choices, and cemented my belief that kids need to explore and make mistakes if they are to truly learn. But even in my lifetime, my kids have less freedom than I had thirty years ago. I have a strong – almost obsessive – desire to keep them safe, check on them constantly, and limit their desires to explore without boundaries.

Swallows and Amazons will no doubt make me think differently the next time my kids ask if they can walk around the block, or light the candles themselves, or cut up an apple. And just as the mother in the book did, I’ll check in every now and then with cakes and love.

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In July 2014 I set myself the challenge to finish 100 must-read books before I die. For my ongoing tally click here.

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