Book Review

Boating with Buster: The Life and Times of a Barge Beagle by Alison Alderton

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


“A beagle? but they are impossible to train”, they said, but Alison and Roger proved everyone wrong by introducing Buster to life onboard their narrowboat, Lily, and finding him to be an enthusiastic third member of the crew. Of course, he still got up to mischief, he was a beagle after all, but that was all part of the fun.

They learn the ropes together in England, then go adventuring in Ireland and then on to Europe. I loved the descriptions of the canals they journeyed along, the moorings they tied up alongside, and the lovely people they met. There are ‘heart in the mouth’ moments as they occasionally undertake a scary sea passage to explore further. Buster remains composed throughout, supervising from his favourite spot on the chart table.

Their love for the boating life shines through and Buster has a wonderful time. I had quite fallen in love with him and shed a few tears at the end. It was lovely to read about the Norse legend of the Rainbow Bridge. What a lovely thought!

I wish Alison and Roger many further happy years on Lily and hope perhaps there will be a sequel one day, starring their new crew member, a beagle of course!




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