Reviews

Badger Clan

Review by Johannes E. Riutta in the Well-read Naturalist, March 2019

“I don’t simply recommend Caroline Greville’s Badger Clan to you, I most enthusiastically urge you to read it.”

Johannes E. Riutta

“A charming story of wildlife discoveries in the neighbourhood of the Greville Family. Great nature writing with nicely observed happenings in both the house and sett. The book contains frequent lovely turns of phrase and also a surprising quantity of self deprecating humour. I wanted to know what happened next to the lumbering Wilbur (badger) who ate laying down and what Annie (teenager) had to say in her next brilliant putdown. A very attractive book inside and out.”

Christabel Carr, purchaser from Amazon

Beautiful, gentle and soothing…

A stunning memoir that pulled me inside the lives of a family who hold each other and the world around them very dear. As well as following the lives of each family member, I learned so much about nature, about animals (and of course about badgers!)

Some very surprising facts amidst lots of entertaining family stories that made me laugh one minute and pulled on my emotions the next as there are also some sad/poignant moments. The author’s writing style is so beautiful, smooth and easy to follow, making this a very pleasurable read. A MUST READ for any nature lovers!

Violet Eden, Medium Review

“Having read this enthralling and delightfully composed narrative into the little understood world of the Badger, I would recommend this easily read composition to everyone who wishes to gain an unbiased attitude towards these harmless creatures. Gone are the days where people would simply destroy any animal that did not fit in with their blinkered view of the natural World. This is a very new approach to understanding these creatures who have everything to fear from us and we have nothing to fear from them. I would like it to be placed on a must-read list for all children so that they can be properly informed and not be biased by outdated views. The future of the World will soon be in the hands of our offspring and books like Badger Clan can go a very long way to equip them with the right attitudes towards understanding nature in all its forms. A book for all seasons and for all ages to read.”

A. Godfrey, purchaser from Amazon

Nature Notes: Glimpses of God in the Natural World

“Caroline Greville’s book Nature Notes is an extremely beautiful and timely call to lift our eyes above the addictive demands of the mobile phone, the need to fill every second with frantic activity, and to stop and let God speak through one of his favourite mediums… the book of Nature. Each reading is a parable in itself, as well as containing so much insight into the natural world. It is enough to think about throughout the day, transformative in its call to not just see, but to receive and be changed by the ‘still small voice’. Caroline’s love for God and passion for nature combine with her creative gift of teaching, to make this a pearl of a book, to delight in and reread as both a daily devotional and a tutoring in nature and the wild ways of God.”

Grace Turner, author and speaker

“Caroline Greville writes with a gossamer touch as she charts her close relationship with the Creator in whom she deeply trusts. This book is not only a joy to read; it has filled me with the Holy Spirit and caused me to pause and sing God’s praises.”

Bobbie Ann Cole, author and speaker

Gospel Voices

“These stories will quite literally take you to heaven and back as a series of voices, some well known and others less familiar, ask the questions we tend to avoid. What is it like to feel constantly compared to your brother Jesus? Why does he roll out miracles to fix problems that he could have prevented in the first place? And what does he want from us? Surrounding the historical Jesus with a wholly believable cast of characters, from nosy neighbours to the wannabe manager who lends his donkey on Palm Sunday, this collection shows the divine at his most human.”

Prof. Carolyn Oulton, Subject Lead Creative and Professional Writing, Canterbury Christ Church University

“Caroline Greville’s engaging style draws you into well known biblical stories as she reimagines them through the eyes of human and angelic participants. The author’s attention to detail means that rather than distracting from the biblical narrative, her recount adds the colour, sound and aroma of the first century Middle Eastern life. Each chapter invites you in, to take part in the conversations and think about the events of the gospel story. In addition to this, the writer skilfully weaves into the stories a subtle teaching about forgiveness, about hearing God’s voice, trusting his promises, and seeing simple events in life through the prism of God’s love and care. Expect to become part of the big story of the Bible, listening afresh to the events of the Gospels, and being changed by something you thought you knew! My God isn’t a God of failure or of missed moments; he’s a God of triumph, and what he sets out to do, he accomplishes every time.“

Grace Turner, Senior Pastor, RiverLife Church, Bern

The Unfinished Story

“Just as Gospel Voices brings fresh perspective and vibrancy to our reading of the Gospels, The Unfinished Story brings us right into the lives, the fresh faith, the challenges and sacrifices of the early Church in the days of the book of Acts. I think this is a must-read for Christians in the 21st century church! We face different cultural and social standards, but new believers entering our churches (just like those in Joppa, Jerusalem, Macedonia & Ephesus) either come without previous Christian experience and background, or are often affected by other current religious or identity political issues. There is much for us to learn from the early church in a now post Christian society. Caroline Greville is that rare thing, a skilled storyteller and dynamic teacher. She challenges us through these glimpses of the early church, to live more bravely, to trust more deeply and to rescue the poor, the outcasts and the hurting. These stories could, and should, be our stories, because Jesus is the same today as he was then and will be forever.”

Grace Turner, Senior Pastor, River Life Church, Bern

“Caroline Greville opens up the world of early Christianity, 2000 years ago, through relatable characters that we come to care about, and she does it with a delicate touch.”

Bobbie Ann Cole, Christian writer, speaker and writing teacher

“In this companion volume to Gospel Voices, Caroline Greville introduces us to a new cast of characters – all of whom are struggling to make sense of the world they live in. In The Unfinished Story we meet a good man who just isn’t very good at being a father as his children hit the teenage years, a woman struggling to come to terms with her husband’s infidelity, and the less than sexy reality of coping with illness in old age. There are urgent questions and no easy answers. But this mosaic of stories assures us of one thing: We know how God feels about us – he’s shown it.”

Prof. Carolyn Oulton, Subject Lead Creative and Professional Writing, Canterbury Christ Church University