Yeti Seeks Mate

I, Sheila Chalmers, am the first independent reader of all three of Mike Leaver's books so far. I have been an avid reader since childhood and progressed to a degree in English and Education. A career in Early Years teaching followed, nurturing children's literary skills and love of story-telling. I later moved to North Wales in pursuit of other interests, and was a Women's Institute officer in various roles for many years... Does an author write an account of his life to inform, persuade, or entertain? In Mike's case, the answer is all three! His decision earlier in life that he wanted to be a writer has already been fulfilled in the publication of his two excellent novels so far. Both of these cast glimpses into Mike's own life. 'Yeti Seeks Mate' reveals more of Mike's extraordinary experiences, from his unconventional childhood, various careers, his skill as a climber and pot-holer, to his ideal life living off-grid in North Wales. This book is written in a fluent, chronological style, which flows comfortably and entertainingly. All characters, but especially the women whom he pursued in search of a mate, are well portrayed; and many readers will identify with Charlotte from their own youth! Mike's tone is light-hearted, humorous, and self-effacing, despite the many precarious and bizarre situations in which he finds himself. Autobiographical writing, by definition, focuses on the author's own life. Mike, however, roots his experiences firmly in events in the wider social and political world, both when they affect him directly - as in the enhanced training of Captains for pleasure-boat cruising following the sinking of 'The Marchioness' in August 1989 - but also in general. These reference points forge a useful link between Mike and the reader's own time-line. A continuous theme throughout the book is Mike's attitude to material possessions, and his clear desire and ability to live without them. His 'Path To Happiness' simply shuns the crazy worship of the money god. His comment that no-one ever thought of wasting food until the 1960s resonates with the question of waste in every form, and the problems the planet is now facing as a result. Through the anecdotes he describes, and the people and situations he has encountered on his journey through life, Mike emerges as a truly contented man. So did the 'Yeti' really need the mate he was seeking? He would appear to have fulfilled the dreams he was pursuing without one.