Sacred Country

Normally books about people trying to "find themselves" do not appeal to me. I'm a reader of historical fiction - thus I discovered Rose Tremain through Music & Silence (Excellent) and Restoration (wonderful read). I purchased this book simply because of the author. When I got it and read the covers, I thought "I've been gipped, this isn't what I wanted" - However, after just a few pages, I was pulled in. Mary/Martin's struggle with gender reflects every individual's struggle to become who they think they are meant to be. Gender identity is only a tool here; it is not the focus of the book. The English farm, the repressed family, the country music scene in Nashville are a perfect backdrop for the inner struggles of characters such as Mary and Walter. The author paints such a realistic picture: Struggles are hard and probably never ending. The book also demonstrates the importance of the "one person" in someone's life who can make such a difference -- in small and often unknowing ways. I can't say I loved this book, but I can say that I am so glad I read it. The world is filled with Marys and Walters, and there is a bit of them in each of us as well. The perspective this book brings is right on target. Rose Tremain is truly a great writer.

If you think Rose Tremain's "Sacred Country" is anything like Virginia Woolf's "Orlando", you're wrong because Mary Ward didn't take centuries and successive reincarnations to morph into Martin. She had one mortal life to live and became Martin in that time. In short, Mary was a transexual, a boy trapped in a girl's body, who suffered great torment as a daughter to the brutish farmer, Sonny and his hapless spaced-out wife, Estelle who spends her life shuttling between the funny farm and home. Mary's struggle to come to terms with herself would have been intolerable in provincial Suffolk if not for the support of grandad Cord, schoolmistress Ms McRae and batmaker Edward Harker, all shining examples of humanity in a community constricted by a numbing lack of imagination. There's the goodhearted but dim witted and conventional minded Irene and the ever pragmatic Grace who hasn't the imagination to understand why her son, Walter needs to seek salvation in faraway Nashville as a country & western singer. Just as Mary finds her own support group, Walter relies on his uncle, Peter to inspire him. Even Timmy, Mary's brother, finally escapes to find fulfillment in a vocation that would break his father's heart. "Sacred Country" is a novel about the isolation and loneliness of non-conformists. The ghost-like figure of Livia (Estelle's mother, Cord's wife) symbolises the spirit of adventure and heroism. She hovers silently above the community like a big bird urging everyone to their own destinies. Mary took nearly three decades (from the day King George died in 1952) to become Martin. In that time, the world has changed, but have we ? "Sacred Country" is behind it all an ode to human courage. Tremain is a tremendous writer. She has written a novel that will endure. Highly recommended.

when i heard that we had to read a book about a girl who wants to become a boy for english class, my first instinct was that the book would be bad, a simple stereotypical novel that would fail to convey more than that. in fact, it turned out to be quite the contrary. i should have had more faith in my teacher. anyway, this book is simply marvelous. the story is about so much more than just Mary/Martin; the quest for identity affects Tim and Walter as well. all the characters in this book are so real and each amazing in his or her own way. i know this is a poor review and does not do the novel justice, but i just wanted to add my 5 stars to the average. this book is not to be missed.

This is the first book that I've felt compelled to review here. That there are only two other comments is almost a crime, since this is a book any real fan of fiction should read. The writing is beautiful, creating images that remain long after you've stopped reading; the characters are all at once completely unqiue and yet you recognize yourself and those you know in each and every one of them. As the other reviews have mentioned, don't feel put off if you've never had any "gender identity" problems--as in any great novel, the plot itself is merely the skeleton. At the end you realize the book in your hands is a shimmering, living thing.

Sacred Country is one of the most profound novels I have read. I first read the book at a time in my life when identity was a vague notion I could not define. Sacred Country, with its hero/heroine of Martin/Mary encouraged me to find exactly what it was I was looking for, and to be selfish in going to find it. As a girl, Mary is troubled and tortured and as a man, Martin is content but far from happy. Rose Tremain weaves her plots with an intimacy which is astounding and the voices she gives her characters are utterly real. As an introduction to the author, you will not be disappointed (be sure to endure the first chapter, though) and if you're expanding your Tremain library then this is a must-have. One of my favourite novels of all time.