Book Reflection: A Fortunate Life by A.B. Facey

Note: After I read a novel or watch a film, I write a brief reflection on it. I generally do it for myself, but I plan to be posting more of them up on this blog as time goes on. I prefer the word "reflection" vs the word "review" because reflection to me means going over the content of a work and letting the work engender ideas in the mind of the reader. Reflection is an interactive creative process whereas to "review" seems to be more of an academic or commercial activity.

Double Note: There are spoilers.

Title: A Fortunate Life

Author: A.B. Facey

“A Fortunate Life” was a book I picked up from a bookshelf in the hotel I was working at in Australia. I did it purely on recommendation from my coworker/friend. As we were casually walking out of the office, he pointed at this title and said to me, "This is a great book." I borrowed it from the hotel for a month and got really close to finishing it before I left my job and went to travel. I was literally reading this book instead of packing my bags my last night in town, but I still had a few chapters to go. Luckily I was able to find a copy of "A Fortunate Life" (with pictures!) at a public library here in the states and finished the rest of the book today.

And I'm glad I read it.

"A Fortunate Life" is an autobiography written by A.B. Facey in 1979 at the age of 85. Most of the book takes place before the age of 20 in the Western Australian outback. Facey's father died when he was two and his mother left him and his siblings to their Grandma. Therefore Facey had to go out and work on various farms as early as he could, at the age of 8, to lessen the financial burden on his family.

Mr. Facey did not have a proper education, but taught himself how to read and write as an adult. He writes in prose and writes things as he sees them. Some of his observations are profound. Working on the farms in the outback, Facey had no younger companions, and would spend hours watching the birds and the animals to keep him company. At that time he was just a young boy, but by then he had already faced hardships and cruel people (some of his employers would beat and whip him).

He saw that the animals also lived in the face of fear and danger, always listening, looking, smelling for danger. From the smallest bird to the human, they each have to face the business of survival and find their own way.

Another observation Mr. Facey makes, much later in life at the age of 52, is that having been in WWI and now seeing the men coming back from WWII with a profound sadness in their eyes, he finds it hard to believe in God. He writes, “I feel that the Bible is a book that was written by man, not for the good of man but for the purpose of preying on a person's conscience, and to confuse him. Anyone who has taken part in a fierce bayonet charge (and I have), and who has managed to retain his proper senses, must doubt the truth of the Bible and the powers of God, if one exists. [...] No sir, there is no God, it is only a myth.”

[spoiler alert]

However, a couple chapters back, he writes about how in WWI he was given a comfort package (packages of day-to-day items given at random to soldiers) of socks from an unknown Ms. Evelyn Gibson from Bunbury. After nearly being killed a number of times, he was finally able to make it home to Western Australia. In Perth, while walking with a fellow soldier north on Barrack St., he bumps into two girls that strike up a conversation with him and his mate. One of the girls ask him about the war and if he and his friend knew anyone from their town, Bunbury. Facey asks the girl, the most beautiful girl he's ever seen, for her name. She says, Evelyn Gibson.

Here, he writes the word "Providence".

Life is insane. Against all odds, Facey survives the war and of all the streets in Perth, he walks down this one (in a northerly direction), and of all the girls he bumps into, he bumps into the one that sent him a pair of socks while he was in the trenches. He bumps into the future love of his life and his lifelong partner for nearly 60 years.

So, is he contradicting himself?

I don't think he cares. These questions of the existence of God and Fate, are not important to CERTAIN people. A.B. Facey is one of those people. When faced with ill fortune, he does not curse the gods, but tries to think of ways to overcome the obstacles. When faced with good fortune, he is grateful but does not waste time thanking the gods. He instead takes action to make the good fortune even better (e.g. asking Evelyn out for a date).

He’s a man of action and it is only towards the end of his life has he found the time to be a man of words. He writes with no need for exaggeration, his life experience is so abundant already. This can at times make the reading a little dry (especially when he describes the intricacies of farming), but when he does make a deep insight (about man, about God) it resonates with real life experience instead of philosophical musing.