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Artis-Ann
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1:00 AM 4th January 2025
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Nature Connects: The Great Riverbank Robbery By Martin Kiszko

Watership Down meets Tales of the Riverbank meets Wind in the Willows - a walk along the river will never be the same again after you have read this novel.

The natural world has long been a source of drama and Kiszko combines his love and knowledge of nature and all its creatures, to create a wonderful, quirky and imaginative tale about a scheming rebel, Stoatally the Stoat, and his ‘weasily’ identified companion, as they attempt to escape the clutches of the mobster minks, who have seized control of the riverbank with their protection racket. The hedgehogs arrive in a Hogsodus and Our Mink, the wicked leader of the ‘criminkals’ wants them all registered to work for her; it’s not a good outlook. Then there’s the incursion of the Tramplers who destroy everything in their path and who, it seems, cannot be stopped. The locals have lost trust in the crime-busting force of kingfishers, too easily bribed, too easily corruptible and supported by the hawk force who simply remove dissenters from the crowd. The animals still revere Holey Moley, the preacher, but little do they realise his loss of faith and it seems only Stoatally can see his weakness.

The narrator is the Berrynut River, an unusual choice but the novel begins with a cleverly constructed extended metaphor likening a story to a stream as it meanders along its way, increasing from a trickle to a torrent until it reaches the sea.

Geography lessons about the life of a river were never quite like this: meanders and ox bows, erosion and deposition, I remember...
Stoatally is a selfish stoat with ‘a thick skin of self-sufficiency’. He had everything taken from him when he was young: his mother, his kitlings and even his burrow, and he does not see why he should give anything to anyone. He is unhappy and wants to leave the Berrynut Riverbank to explore life beyond its reaches and to resettle somewhere where he won’t be bullied and abused by the Minkmother and her gang. To fund his departure, he plans a raid on the First Berrynut Riverside Bank where the Minks hoard their ill-gotten gains. It won’t be easy but Stoatally believes it will definitely be worth it and persuades Wease to go with him. He plans to steal a valuable relic from the Riverside Bank: the lucky paw of Fluffy Maine Coon the Brave, along with a few other goodies of course, which he will use to pay those who help him. There are spies in the camp, however, and it might not be plain sailing. The Kingfisher force will be watching, supported by the Dragonfly Drones who keep a sharp eye out for any suspicious activity.

Getting into the bank and just as importantly, getting out, requires a complex plan and Stoatally needs the help of friendly hares, Snorka the Otter, a hedgehog who proves to be particularly good at route planning, the beaver builders and Brock, the best tunneller in the business. The journey is not easy and tests their resourcefulness and their resilience. When the land begins to slide and the tunnels begin to flood, however, it seems Stoatally’s bank robbery is not, after all, the Greatest Riverbank Robbery. The Tramplers above ground have no idea of what they are doing to the fabric of the riverbank, making it unstable and dangerous for the creatures who live on it, in it and under it.

Finding himself unable to flee and forced back to the riverbank by a storm, Stoatally has to regroup and avoid capture. The pace picks up as he leads a rebellion against the mink. Battle plans are drawn; the mink are supported by an army of common brown rats (who, it appears, all share the name Ratty) and the owls, but it seems there are rebel forces who will step up to help Stoatally. A bitter battle ensues and there are many casualties before the battle is ended. Still, Stoatally cannot rest; he must eventually open his ears and his mind to the voice of the river.

The words sum up what I have always known but this novel opened my eyes to things I had not really thought enough about.
The river tells him the Tramplers are the common enemy of the river and all its inhabitants. Only when all the creatures unite will they save their homes from devastation and ruin. Ultimately, there has to be one final battle and it is again led by Stoatally, who summons up his powers of persuasion to convince even the mink to join them in ‘the Revolution in the Woodland’ as he urges them all once again to fight ‘for your ancestors and your future’. All the animals use their particular skills to overcome the Tramplers and with one particularly heroic act from Wease, the battle is won.

Geography lessons about the life of a river were never quite like this: meanders and ox bows, erosion and deposition, I remember, but that a river never sleeps and witnesses all of life and death in its banks and currents was never on the school curriculum. I love water, preferably the sea but a river, lake or waterfall will suffice. The river narrating this tale tells us ‘I calm the troubled spirit; I soothe the broken heart. I am haven for reflection and contemplation’. The words sum up what I have always known but this novel opened my eyes to things I had not really thought enough about. I tried hard to identify the all-important allegory but to be honest, there were too many choices and I gave up, intent instead on just enjoying this engaging read. Kiszko’s use of language is delightful and lends itself to being read aloud. Wittily written with a plethora of puns, a multitude of metaphors and an alignment of alliteration, this is both entertaining and educational.

Perhaps better known as a musician and composer, and as the UK’s Green Poet, this is Kiszko’s first novel. Advertised as ‘a story for all ages filled with adventure, foreboding and humour…a metaphorical reminder of how important our rivers are’, Kiszko’s aim is ‘to help a new generation to understand the challenges ahead… to encourage a search for solutions that can create a sustainable environment for all’. A challenge indeed and this is a novel way of doing so.


The Great Riverbank Robbery is published by Martin Kiszko Publishers