The Gamekeeper

A totally enthralling read. This is the sort of book you could so easily become absorbed in. It’s so well written, and very entertaining. We all read for enjoyment, but it’s also great to learn something along the way, and I certainly did with Portia Simpson’s wonderful descriptions and explanations, in her work and travels in becoming a Gamekeeper. Portia has her heart set on finding a job where she can work outdoors. However, It doesn’t take long to realise that the positions she is looking into are male dominated roles, and she will need to work extra hard to prove herself. She becomes a qualified Tree Surgeon in Aberdeen, and although this allows her to work outside, she knew it wasn’t what she wanted to do with the rest of her life. When Portia lands a job as a grouse beater, it gave her a chance to see what a Gamekeeper did as a job, and she knew instantly this is what she wanted to do. She wanted to become the first female qualified Gamekeeper, as up until this point it was purely a role for males. Portia was lucky enough to make it onto the Gamekeeper course, and part of the requirement was to find work where she would learn aspects of the job. Life wasn’t easy at times with little money and no food, she would have to resort to hunting so she had something to eat. Portia would experience everything from pheasant shooting, stag hunting, to culling red deer. However the work wasn’t always easy and exciting, and because of the deer, there were always plenty of fences that required mending. Then she had to be on her guard as there were also poachers to watch out for, who were well known to be very cunning and dangerous. Portia certainly shows throughout this fabulous story, that she has no trouble matching it with the men. Do yourself a favour and read this book, you won’t be disappointed.