Vietnam:A Natural History by Eleanor Sterling,Martha Hurley, Le Duc Minh

To most Americans, the word Vietnam conjures up images of the war from the 1960’s and early ‘70’s. That’s why the subject of this book was somewhat of a novelty. Frankly, I am surprised that there is much nature left, after not only the war with America, but the French one before that. Not only [...]

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Coming Up on Vulpes …

The only common denominator in the coming week’s offerings on Vulpes is their sheer diversity … ranging from a different view of Vietnam to a doctor’s experiences with Médecins sans  Frontières in the Sudan, via France’s best-loved schoolboy, a 1960s icon,  a modern management classic and a piece of ‘intelligent women’s noir’. —o— Monday: Jackie [...]

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Food for the Spirit

I know I’m not alone in an addiction to reading cookery books for pleasure. It’s just that I’m not much of a cook. I can produce edible food, and we don’t starve in my house; one or two of my cookery books do have one or two pages covered with gravy or fruit stains, just [...]

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Unquiet Slumbers

From time to time, the Foxes own up to their personal literary favourites.  Jackie’s is Oscar and Lucinda, Lisa opted – rather endearingly – for Victoria Plum.  Today, it’s Moira’s turn to go public  … —o— ”Stronger than a man, simpler than a child, her nature stood alone.” So wrote Charlotte Brontë of her sister [...]

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Vulpes Revisited: Nobody’s Home AND Thank You for Not Reading

As we now have so many new readers, we thought it would be an excellent idea if we occasionally reprinted some of the earliest reviews on Vulpes Libris, which many people may have overlooked – buried as they are deep in the bowels of the blog. Here then is one by Leena -  the Founder [...]

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Cry, the Beloved Country, by Alan Paton

Review by Caoimhe McCutcheon ‘Cry, the beloved Country, for the unborn child that is the inheritor of our fear. Let him not love the earth too deeply. Let him not laugh too gladly when the water runs through his fingers, nor stand too silent when the water runs through his fingers, nor stand too silent [...]

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Their Eyes Were Watching God ~ by Zora Neale Hurston

Their Eyes Were Watching God is a book that comes complete with its own luggage: a seminal work of African-American literature – a milestone in women’s literature – a feminist classic even … Fortunately I didn’t know any of that when I read it or, indeed, when I wrote most of this piece … so [...]

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Strawberry Fields by Marina Lewycka

Despite the bucolic title, this is a novel about a parallel universe. But not in the sci fi sense, rather one that exists in our modern society that most of us aren’t aware of. Taking place in England, it involves workers who come from other countries to work on farms, in food production and other [...]

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Coming Up on Vulpes Libris

It’s a dark week on Vulpes Libris; a dark novel, the Dark Continent, the dark and brooding Heathcliff. But a bright note at the end, when Book Fox Hilary amuses us with her approach to cook books. This Monday Jackie gazes upon Strawberry Fields, a tragi-comic novel about immigrants by Marina Lewycka. Tuesday finds Moira [...]

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A Rebel Among Outlaws: Kris Kristofferson

Well I think what they’ve done is well worth doing And they’re doing it the best way that they can You’re the only one that you are screwing When you put down what you don’t understand. – Kris Kristofferson, If You Don’t Like Hank Williams (You Can Kiss My Ass) I was raised on country [...]

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