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White Beech

The Rainforest Years

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White Beech

By: Germaine Greer
Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
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About this listen

One bright day in December 2001, sixty-two-year-old Germaine Greer found herself confronted by an irresistible challenge in the shape of sixty hectares of dairy farm, one of many in southeast Queensland, Australia, which, after a century of logging, clearing, and downright devastation, had been abandoned to their fate.

She didn’t think for a minute that by restoring the land she was saving the world. She was in search of heart’s ease. Beyond the acres of exotic pasture grass and soft weed and the impenetrable curtains of tangled lantana canes, there were macadamias dangling their strings of unripe nuts, black beans with red and yellow pea flowers growing on their branches…and the few remaining white beeches, stupendous trees up to 120 feet in height, logged out within forty years of the arrival of the first white settlers. To have turned down even a faint chance of bringing them back to their old haunts would have been to succumb to despair.

Once the process of rehabilitation had begun, the chance proved to be a dead certainty. When the first replanting shot up to make a forest and rare caterpillars turned up to feed on the leaves of the new young trees, she knew beyond a doubt that at least here, biodepletion could be reversed.

Greer describes herself as an old dog who succeeded in learning a load of new tricks, inspired and rejuvenated by her passionate love of Australia and of Earth, the most exuberant of small planets.

©2013 Germaine Greer (P)2014 Audible, Inc.
Biographies & Memoirs Ecology Ecosystems & Habitats Environment Heartfelt

Critic Reviews

"Saskia Maarleveld is lively and engaging as she narrates Greer's search for a suitable property.... Maarleveld adeptly portrays Greer's outspokenness and hardline environmentalism." (AudioFile)

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A most enjoyable and informative book from Dr Greer. A lot of time has gone into her research. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for the narrator whose mispronunciations were many. Still, well worth the time to enjoy.

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Bad pronunciation

This was a very interesting and informative book and it gave a slight glimmer of hope for rehabilitating this planet, however what I found most annoying about this audio book is that I tallied 20 words that were mispronounced this is unacceptable and it demonstrates poor research from the Narrator and lack of effort from the editor. I would be interested to hear Germaine Greer’s thoughts on this matter

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Detailed and engaging review of the state of the Australian environment.

liked history of environmental management since European settlement. Disliked mispronunciation of place , flora and fauna names by the narrator

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Very bad choice or narrator.

I groaned out loud with every mispronunciation of Australian place name and aboriginal word. Please narrate this yourself Germaine, it's a wonderful book worthy of rerecording.

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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.