Because the world was ending
Singing with the Trees
by Rob Fillo
Victoria: Rob Fillo, 2025
$25 / 9798306571607
Reviewed by Cathalynn Labonté-Smith
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This is the true story of a man who when the pandemic hit fled into the wild of Vancouver Island believing that the world was ending and his best chance for survival was to wait it out there until the illness had run its course through the metropolis of Victoria. Just a man, named Rob Fillo, his 2004 Nissan Sentra sedan, and his CPAP machine. “What a sight I must have been wormed up inside my mummy bag with a CPAP mask hose sticking out the face hole, like something out of a Sci-Fi movie,” writes Rob Fillo.
A city boy by circumstance evolves into a gritty survivalist in the Pacific rainforest. Just like in those reality shows, like Alone, Man vs. Wild, Naked, and Afraid (although he does seem to be fully clothed), Bear Grylis, and I Shouldn’t Be Alive, he tests his wits against Mother Nature by picking out gratis spots to car camp.
As a recreational camper, this reviewer can think of nothing more uncomfortable than camping in a car with cold condensation covering the cramped interior versus a cozy warm tent. A car where he also stored his food. Unless you store your vitals in the trunk of a bear-proof, all steel, relic like the capricious Chevy Caprice this reviewer formerly owned, storing groceries in a modern plastic car is tantamount to inviting bear to picnic basket.
Fillo soon discovers he’s not alone. Others who shared his strategy for getting through the horrific and deadly plague that was upon us form a supportive community, albeit one that didn’t seem to practice social-distancing, or consistently use PPE.
Fillo more than survives, he blossoms during the pandem-y. As a talented musician, song-writer, and singer, he’s thrilled to become a source of comfort to the abandonees of urban life. He realizes his true value as a wandering minstrel in what could otherwise have been a dystopic tale.
The cover promises, “A 1 ½ Hour Ferry Ride Read,” and it delivers. The book is a quick, comedic, and uplifting read. Plus, have your earbuds ready, because as you read Fillo’s adventures from village to village, you can go to his YouTube performances to play his original country songs that he mentions in his book, as well as other familiar tunes by other artists.
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Cathalynn Cindy Labonté-Smith grew up in the Lethbridge and Cardston areas of Alberta and moved to Vancouver, BC, to complete her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing at the University of British Columbia. She later taught English, Journalism, and other subjects at Vancouver high schools. She currently lives in Gibsons (and North Vancouver), BC, where she founded the Sunshine Coast Writers and Editors Society, including the annual Art & Words Festival, the Book Awards for BC Authors, and a literary map. Her previous book, Rescue Me: Behind the Scenes of Search and Rescue (Caitlin Press), was a bestseller in BC. She has a new book, I’m Not A Mormon (Anymore), to be released in Winter 2026, available for preorder from Caitlin Press or Amazon.ca. [Editor’s Note: Cathalynn Labonté-Smith recently reviewed a book by PJ Reece, interviewed Bob McDonald, and profiled the Sunshine Coast Tale Trail for The British Columbia Review.]
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The British Columbia Review
Interim Editors, 2023-26: Trevor Marc Hughes (non-fiction), Brett Josef Grubisic (fiction)
Publisher: Richard Mackie
Formerly The Ormsby Review, The British Columbia Review is an on-line book review and journal service for BC writers and readers. The Advisory Board now consists of Jean Barman, Wade Davis, Robin Fisher, Barry Gough, Hugh Johnston, Kathy Mezei, Patricia Roy, and Graeme Wynn. Provincial Government Patron (since September 2018): Creative BC. Honorary Patron: Yosef Wosk. Scholarly Patron: SFU Graduate Liberal Studies. The British Columbia Review was founded in 2016 by Richard Mackie and Alan Twigg.
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