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Complicated Simplicity: Island Life in the Pacific Northwest
A frank, practical, and entertaining exploration of the pleasures and complexities of living on small islands. Many people dream of living simple lives on small islands, but few are aware of some of the unique challenges that accompany this distinctive lifestyle. From negotiating surrounding waters to creating a sustainable home and making a viable life away from urban conveniences, small-island living can be rewarding or difficult (or both), depending on myriad circumstances. Complicated Island Life in the Pacific Northwest draws on a variety sources to contextualize peoples' enduring fascination with islands worldwide, including the author's own experiences growing up on Bath Island (off Gabriola) and her interviews with over twenty intrepid figures who live on the San Juan Islands, the Gulf Islands, the Discovery Islands, and in Clayoquot Sound. Ingenuity, tenacity, and a passion for living in these special places shine through in the personal stories, as does a shared concern for safety, sustainability, and thoughtful stewardship. Engaging, inspiring, and often funny, Complicated Simplicity offers readers honest and useful insights on the joys, perils, and rewards of island life.
- GenresNonfictionCanada
251 pages, Paperback
Published April 16, 2019
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48 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 12, 2019
If you have ever toyed with the idea of living on an island with no ferry service, this book is essential. Even for someone looking to live off-grid in any remote area, there is much valuable information here that forces you to look past the idea of peaceful paradise and to peek into the stark reality of such a life.
Compiling information gathered from some 20 islanders, Davis organizes her chapters into what to look for when selecting an island; what buildings and structures are required; what systems will be needed to gather water, fuel and power; how to deal with waste; how to manage schooling and resupplying; preparations for winter and storms; as well as insight into the dark sides of isolation (depression, medical emergencies, loneliness, boredom).
This book was not at all what I expected - I thought it would be a compilation of cute island anecdotes - but it was engrossing all the same. Living close to the islands, inlets and bays that are featured, I have visited a few of the small islands which have ferry service and fantasized about living so far away from the rat race. But to go a step further and live in a completely self-reliant way truly means that you need to be a master of every trade - from general fixer of generators, pumps, cookers and solar panels to maintainer of docks, water collection systems, stands of trees, structures and roofs. There is no one to call when one of these systems goes down and often the seas are too rough to allow for travel to safety.
But Davis focuses in on the strong community built between like-minded islanders and how they can step up to help each other out. She also discussed the changes that cell service, wifi and general connectedness to the outside world are having on island life. To me, the biggest take-away is that most remote islanders never sit on those lovely deck chairs overlooking the bay because there is simply too much to do.
Compiling information gathered from some 20 islanders, Davis organizes her chapters into what to look for when selecting an island; what buildings and structures are required; what systems will be needed to gather water, fuel and power; how to deal with waste; how to manage schooling and resupplying; preparations for winter and storms; as well as insight into the dark sides of isolation (depression, medical emergencies, loneliness, boredom).
This book was not at all what I expected - I thought it would be a compilation of cute island anecdotes - but it was engrossing all the same. Living close to the islands, inlets and bays that are featured, I have visited a few of the small islands which have ferry service and fantasized about living so far away from the rat race. But to go a step further and live in a completely self-reliant way truly means that you need to be a master of every trade - from general fixer of generators, pumps, cookers and solar panels to maintainer of docks, water collection systems, stands of trees, structures and roofs. There is no one to call when one of these systems goes down and often the seas are too rough to allow for travel to safety.
But Davis focuses in on the strong community built between like-minded islanders and how they can step up to help each other out. She also discussed the changes that cell service, wifi and general connectedness to the outside world are having on island life. To me, the biggest take-away is that most remote islanders never sit on those lovely deck chairs overlooking the bay because there is simply too much to do.
June 20, 2019
OK, this book has definitely convinced me that I am not cut out for life on a small island with no ferry service! This is a book of details - so many details - about what it takes to establish and maintain domestic life on a small island. Those of you who know me know that I am allergic to details, so the fact that I couldn't get interested in provisioning and boat maintenance tells me that I am not an islander! The book also convinced me that Islanders are truly amazing people - I admire those who have chosen this complicated life.
My favorite parts of the book were the beginnings of each chapter where Davis recounted how her family moved from the Mainland to a small island near Vancouver in the '60s. I was far more interested in her story than in the collection of advice and anecdotes that filled the rest of the book. I am attracted to narrative, and most of the book was more like snippets of information, so I would have liked more narrative about Davis' childhood.
My favorite quote in this book was from an islander who said: "We never get used to the fact that time did not mean anything. We could rise at any hour, knowing there were no appointments to be kept and no buses to catch...we woke to a world as pure as the day on which it was created, and our nerves no longer frayed at the clash of conflicting personalities. The clock stopped, but it made no difference. We knew that daylight was the time for waking and dark the time for sleeping, and we ate when we were hungry. We began to forget what day it was, but that did not matter because all days were alike. For us, time had suddenly ceased."
I related to the pleasures of being away from hubbub and feeling disconnected from time, but I prefer to find those pleasures through spurts of camping or backpacking. Many of the people interviewed in this book said they chose island life to escape the stresses of city living - not just the noise, but also the "vices" and the "conflicting personalities". I understand the impulse to disengage from things that make one uncomfortable, but for me, I personally don't think it's great to do that as a lifestyle - for me, I think it is important to engage, and be challenged by the differences of others, so that one can gain empathy and growth. So: no island for me!
My favorite parts of the book were the beginnings of each chapter where Davis recounted how her family moved from the Mainland to a small island near Vancouver in the '60s. I was far more interested in her story than in the collection of advice and anecdotes that filled the rest of the book. I am attracted to narrative, and most of the book was more like snippets of information, so I would have liked more narrative about Davis' childhood.
My favorite quote in this book was from an islander who said: "We never get used to the fact that time did not mean anything. We could rise at any hour, knowing there were no appointments to be kept and no buses to catch...we woke to a world as pure as the day on which it was created, and our nerves no longer frayed at the clash of conflicting personalities. The clock stopped, but it made no difference. We knew that daylight was the time for waking and dark the time for sleeping, and we ate when we were hungry. We began to forget what day it was, but that did not matter because all days were alike. For us, time had suddenly ceased."
I related to the pleasures of being away from hubbub and feeling disconnected from time, but I prefer to find those pleasures through spurts of camping or backpacking. Many of the people interviewed in this book said they chose island life to escape the stresses of city living - not just the noise, but also the "vices" and the "conflicting personalities". I understand the impulse to disengage from things that make one uncomfortable, but for me, I personally don't think it's great to do that as a lifestyle - for me, I think it is important to engage, and be challenged by the differences of others, so that one can gain empathy and growth. So: no island for me!
July 1, 2019
As an islander, albeit on the ferry grid, many of the discussions offered up viewpoints to what I’ve been contemplating about island life on the west coast. I particularly liked the details about living off the energy and utility grids. I found the personal stories inspiring, and the references useful and relatable. I was ready for such a book as this. Thank you Joy!
July 13, 2022
I didn’t finish this book, as I had to return it to the library before I could do so. The book is a really interesting reflection on life on some of BC’s unserviced islands but I didn’t learn many practical things about how to succeed in this lifestyle.
November 12, 2019
Enlightening comprehensive coverage. Enjoyed the slices of her life, many lists.
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