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Narrow Margins - A Laugh-out-loud Book About Life On The Waterways (Narrow Boat Books) (2012)

by Marie Browne(Favorite Author)

3.77 of 5 Votes: 2

languge

English

genre

Memoir & Autobiography

publisher

Accent Press Ltd

review 1: A light hearted look as to how a family coped with the loss of employment by the bread winner. Having been made redundant myself at 55, I had great sympathy for the family and wanted to know how they coped. I think they had more fun, and really lived `life' the day they left their secure environment and took up narrow boating. The flow of the story pulls you along with the family, whether it is turning a seventy foot boat in a sixty eight foot wide canal or the male leaping ashore to moor the boat, only to realise what he thought was solid ground turned out to be less solid than anticipated. It has drama, comedy, pathos within a travel book that doesn't travel all that far from its origin. The book is different, and for me it was a pleasure to read.
review 2: ... moreI wasn't sure when I purchased this book from Amazon, as I'm always leery of free books (as in they don't cost anything on Amazon). Since I've been pleasantly surprised before, I figured why not. Not to mention if I didn't like it, it wouldn't be money wasted. And I'm happy I did! It's two for two with free Amazon downloads! (It's now $2.99 for Kindle on Amazon and still worth the price). There aren't many books that make me laugh out loud, but this one did. Narrow Margins is the true story of one family's journey from the financial crash of the Rover car company to an alternative and better lifestyle. Faced with the loss of everything, the house, the cars and more importantly their rather lazy and indolent lifestyle, Marie Browne and her family took on the challenge of a whole new way of life. Strapped for cash, the family buys a decrepit 70 ft barge called Happy Go Lucky which had been run as a floating hotel. Outdated and in need of a complete refurbishment, Happy becomes their floating home.First they need to learn the ropes. Browne was hilarious in describing the many mishaps that befell them as they attempted to travel the rivers in England. Some of my favorite scenes were of their beloved ugly, old, fairly blind, incontinent, lazy dog who seems more of a crusty rope mop than a dog. Hysterical are the accounts of how the dog attempts to board the boat, but his leaps go awry and he splooshes into the water. Time after time, it never fails to make me chuckle.Sometimes the book is difficult to read as Browne is from England and the story takes place in England. A few terms such as locks and English expressions, I had to look up to understand what she was talking about. Boating terms are explained fairly well as you are learning right along with the family.As they come to terms with living on a narrow boat, readers gain a fascinating insight into life in the slow lane, literally and figuratively. It takes incredible guts to uproot your life and your family for boat life. It's not for the faint of heart. Surprisingly, the kids embrace (mostly) the concept and find boat life intriguing, if not quite challenging. There are numerous falls into the water, mucky and muddy slips on the banks, cursing at the locks, the cabinets (or lack thereof), the missing can opener, buying multiple can openers, rabid kids on sugar, and more.But the still moments are what strike you as Browne relates her tale. She discovers the meaning of "slow" and realizes that there is more to life than a mountain of shoes, a big house, wealth, a prestigious job, and all the trappings that go with a daily life. It's the embracing of the stars - love, friendship, and family - that matter.A witty, inspiring, and poignant must read. less

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