What We Did on Our Holiday

by John Harding | Literature & Fiction |
ISBN: 0552998478 Global Overview for this book
Registered by wingPlum-crazywing of Brighouse, West Yorkshire United Kingdom on 9/1/2007
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8 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by wingPlum-crazywing from Brighouse, West Yorkshire United Kingdom on Saturday, September 1, 2007
(blurb)
Nick could have a great time on Malta if it wasn't for one thing..... his family.

His wife, Laura, biological alarm clock ringing,is desperate for children which means a nightly test of Nick's ingenuity to resist her amorous advances.

There's Dad, afflicted with Parkinson's disease, scarcely able to walk or talk, unsure which country or decade he's in & obsessed by sex & lavatories.

And there's Mum, weighing in at a formidable 18 stone(although she's convinced she's a size 10) with a personality to match.

Then there's the ghost from dad's wartime past, come back to haunt them all....

Journal Entry 2 by wingPlum-crazywing from Brighouse, West Yorkshire United Kingdom on Tuesday, September 18, 2007
The back cover says of this book .."tackling a taboo subject with sensitivity, compassion & a total lack of sentimentality... this about the time in our lives when we find ourselves looking after the very people we'd always assumed would be there to look after us..."

Nick's father suffers from Parkinson's disease. The story tells of the fortnights holiday the family spend on the island of Malta, how Nick, his wife & his mother each cope with his father's illness & how his feelings for his parents are put to the test when a secret from his fathers past emerges.

Funny & at the same time sad ,this was a very good read.

Journal Entry 3 by wingPlum-crazywing from Brighouse, West Yorkshire United Kingdom on Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Welcome to my bookring!

Some brief "rules":

Please journal the book when you receive it.

Please PM the next person on the list for their address soon after receiving it(this will hopefully help prevent holdups later on) If you don't hear from them within a few days, PM them again. If after a few more days you still haven't heard anything, please let me know.

Read the book! Please aim to send on within around 6 weeks ...& journal it again when you've read it to let us know what you thought of it.

Please journal the date it's posted. As it is an international ring & postage costs vary, please send by cheapest method availiable to you & don't worry how long it will take to get to the next reader. As long as we know it's on it's way that's fine... I doubt any of us will run out of reading matter in the meantime!

Hope you all enjoy this book as much as I did...

List of readers:

vespa (UK)
madmadge (UK)
Annodyne (UK)
maggiemo (UK)
kiwiinEngland (UK)
thursoexile (UK) <-----------book is stalled here!

moved to new ring:
Nikel27 (Germany)
Meeko14 (Portugal)
Icila (France)
meezergirl (US)
kobie03 (Canada)


Journal Entry 4 by Vespa from Weymouth, Dorset United Kingdom on Wednesday, October 24, 2007
This arrived this morning. It's next on my pile of books to read

Journal Entry 5 by Vespa from Weymouth, Dorset United Kingdom on Friday, October 26, 2007
I was a bit unsure whether to read this book or not, as I lost my dad 4 weeks ago after a 15 year battle with Parkinsons :-( Once I started it, I read it almost in one sitting ....through copious amounts of tears. The descriptions of Parkinsons and how it affects a family were starkly accurate from "Get that neck up" right down to the floater that wouldn't flush (one relative refused to visit ever again after encountering one of dad's!!) I really empathised with both Nick and mum - their parts were superbly written , so many of Nicks words and thoughts could have been mine.
I think I will get a copy of this book my self to read again when I'm feeling less bereft (as Nick says in the book, it is like having a child who becomes more dependent each day rather than learning independence and right now I have no idea what to do with all these extra hours in the day!!) and I will let mum read it too, as I'm sure she will appreciate the book as well.
A very good book!

I have Madmadge's address and I will try and get this in the post today

Journal Entry 6 by madmadge from Alderholt, Dorset United Kingdom on Wednesday, October 31, 2007
It's arrived and I can't wait to get stuck in. I enjoyed the TV Drama - can't remember how long ago I watched it now. Beloved's mum had Parkinson's and, although I never met her because I didn't know him then, I know how devastating it can be from what he's told me. My mum had Alzheimer's so I can sympathise with him and anyone else who has watched a beloved family member suffer.

Thank you so much Plum-crazy for sharing and Vespa for posting it on to me - sorry to hear about your Dad and hope the pain is easing a little.

Journal Entry 7 by madmadge from Alderholt, Dorset United Kingdom on Tuesday, November 13, 2007
This book made me laugh and cry at the same time. Such a wonderful story, beautifully told and much better than the TV Drama I watched based on this book. I could picture every scene and experience all the difficulties and heartache suffered by Dad and his family. It will stay with me for a very long time. I'm so glad I took part in this ring.

Will PM Annodyne and post it on when I get the details.

All packaged up to send to Annodyne tomorrow.

Journal Entry 8 by Annodyne from Sale, Cheshire United Kingdom on Thursday, November 22, 2007

Arrived safely today, and I can hardly resist taking a peek even though I have only just started another book. Looks good! I'm going to enjoy reading this in the next week or so.


Journal Entry 9 by Annodyne from Sale, Cheshire United Kingdom on Saturday, December 1, 2007
Once I was able to make a proper start on this book, I found it very readable and enjoyable. I like the kind of blokey humour that sought out the lighter moments of Dad's ultimately dire situation, but there was plenty of pathos and poignancy as well to balance things up. The issues of severe and disabling illness and the stresses it can bring both to the sufferers and those who love and care for them were dealt with in a sensitive and straightforward way.

What I didn't like was the Nick/Laura subplot, although I know it had to be there to support the message of the story. Many couples face those sort of dilemmas, but despite Nick's best efforts with the turkey baster, cut knees and sunburn, the outcome was never going to be in any doubt at all, and I found myself getting very irritated and thinking "oh for goodness sake, just get on with it!!" right from the start, which spoiled my enjoyment of an otherwise very good book.

Great ending too, by the way!

I have maggiemo's address, and I'll be posting it on to her today.






Journal Entry 10 by maggiemo on Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Received today. Plan to start it tonight

Journal Entry 11 by maggiemo on Thursday, December 20, 2007
Really enjoyed this book. Very funny in bits and also sad. However I don't think the author was looking for sympathy. Good read and thanks for sharing

Journal Entry 12 by maggiemo on Friday, January 18, 2008
posted to kiwiinengland on Wed. happy reading

Journal Entry 13 by kiwiinengland from Wellington City, Wellington Province New Zealand on Monday, January 28, 2008
This book arrived just after I left for a 5 week holiday, hence the delay in journalling it. Top of my TBR pile it goes. Thanks plum-crazy for starting the ring

Journal Entry 14 by kiwiinengland from Wellington City, Wellington Province New Zealand on Tuesday, January 29, 2008
I enjoyed this book, which was an interesting read. I especially enjoyed the relationship between the Nick's mum and dad...how she had adapted her life to be defined by helping her husband. They had a true ring to it.

While I thought the incident with Nick and the warm milk was funny when I read it, looking back it was disturbing...especially his attitude to his wife. And one other thing I didn't enjoy was the way his wife looked after Nick's father so much on the holiday, and called Nick's parents mum and dad...why didn't Nick take on more of the physical aspects of his fathers care...and what did Laura's parents feel about her calling someone else mum and dad?

Am awaiting the address of the next participant to post this on.

Journal Entry 15 by kiwiinengland from Wellington City, Wellington Province New Zealand on Monday, February 11, 2008
Posted on 9th Feb 2008

Journal Entry 16 by thursoexile on Thursday, February 14, 2008
recieved today will add to my Tbr list but get it moving again asap.....

Journal Entry 17 by thursoexile on Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Great book, good read, ready to send on !!

Journal Entry 18 by wingPlum-crazywing from Brighouse, West Yorkshire United Kingdom on Sunday, August 31, 2008
Have sent numerous PM's & tried ISOs to contact thursoexile re the status of this book but have had no response.

Sadly this ring is currently classed as stalled....apologies to waiting readers, I will try to locate another copy & get another ring going.

Thank you everyone who read it & glad you all enjoyed it.
Plum-crazy

Journal Entry 19 by wingPlum-crazywing from Brighouse, West Yorkshire United Kingdom on Saturday, October 4, 2008
Thanks to Supertalya I now have a second copy of this book & this ring will be up & running again shortly.
You can follow it's continued travels here

If this copy surfaces please return to Plum-crazy -thanks!



Journal Entry 20 by lostbookisland on Saturday, August 29, 2009
This book has washed ashore at the Lost Book Island after not being heard from for many months. This new arrival will be shown to a room and be allowed a bit of rest before being introduced to the many fun things to do here at the island.



All around there are books sipping cool drinks under shady palms while other books participate in a wide variety of beach sports. There is plenty of sand, surf and sun here for all of the lost and wayward books to enjoy.



It is hoped that very soon a new journal entry will come to rescue this book from the island and send it back out into the BookCrossing world so that it may continue on its journey. It is hoped that the new journal entry will tell all the interested parties where this book has been this long time and where it will be traveling to next.

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