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The Frozen Thames

by Helen Humphreys

The Frozen Thames Cover

ISBN13: 9780385342810
ISBN10: 0385342810
Condition: Standard
Dustjacket: Standard
All Product Details

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Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

In its long history, the river Thames has frozen solid forty times. These are the stories of that frozen river.

So begins this breathtaking and original work, which contains forty vignettes based on events that actually took place each time the historic Thames froze solid. Spanning more than seven centuriesfrom 1142 to 1895and illustrated with stunning full-color period art, The Frozen Thames is an achingly beautiful feat of the imagination…a work of fiction that transports us back through history to cast us as intimate observers of unforgettable moments in time.

Whether were viewing the magnificent spectacle of King Henry VIII riding across the ice highway (while plotting to rid himself of his second wife) or participating in a joyous Frost Fair on the ice, joining lovers meeting on the frozen river during the plague years or coming upon the sight of a massive ship frozen into the Thames…these unforgettable stories are a triumph of the imagination as well as a moving meditation on love, loss, and the transformative powers of nature.

Review:

"Between 1142 and 1895, the Thames froze solid 40 times, and Humphreys (Wild Dogs) captures the magic and hardship created by these deep freezes in a series of elegant vignettes. The book opens with Queen Matilda's snow-cloaked escape across the frozen Thames from Oxford Castle, and subsequent snapshots capture everything from fox hunts to the merry Frost Fairs that set up on the solid river. The river is also witness to the Black Death, a window tax and a hearth tax, a crumbling London Bridge and the Luddite uprising. The elements are wonderfully evoked, with coldness so intense that birds fall frozen from the sky, ale freezes solid in its jugs, and trees split apart 'as though struck by lightning.' In a style meditative and poetic, Humphreys crafts a compelling portrait of the role something as seemingly simple as ice has in people's lives and imaginations." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Synopsis:

"The Frozen Thames" contains 40 vignettes based on events that actually took place each time the river froze between 1142 and 1895. The genre-bending work is stunningly designed and illustrated throughout with full-color period art.

About the Author

Helen Humphreys is the author of Leaving Earth, a New York Times Notable Book and winner of the City of Toronto Book Award; Afterimage, winner of the Rogers Writers Trust Fiction Prize; The Lost Garden, finalist for the CBCs 2003 Canada Reads competition; and the forthcoming Coventry. Wild Dogs won the 2005 Lambda Award for fiction, was one of NOW magazines Top 10 Books of 2004, and has been optioned for film. Humphreys lives in Kingston, Ontario.

What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 1 comment:

cariola119, January 1, 2010 (view all comments by cariola119)
What a lovely little book! It's a "meditation on ice," focused on the 40 times recorded that the Thames river has frozen over. For each year, Humphreys creates a short (2-4 pages) vignette, some featuring historical figures like Queen Matilda and Bess of Hardwicke, others featuring anonymous Londoners (watermen, pubkeepers, etc.). In addition, the book is filled with fascinating illustrations, most of them from the historical periods addressed. The Frozen Thames is a small, square book that fits comfortably into the palm of your hand--perfect for reading on a winter's evening. This one is definitely a keeper, and one to cherish.
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Product Details

ISBN:
9780385342810
Author:
Humphreys, Helen
Publisher:
Delacorte Press
Subject:
General
Subject:
Thames River (England)
Subject:
Historical fiction
Subject:
General Fiction
Subject:
Literature-A to Z
Copyright:
Publication Date:
20090331
Binding:
Hardcover
Grade Level:
General/trade
Language:
English
Illustrations:
Y
Pages:
192
Dimensions:
5.98x5.48x.91 in. .78 lbs.

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The Frozen Thames Used Hardcover
0 stars - 0 reviews
$9.95 In Stock
Product details 192 pages Delacorte Press - English 9780385342810 Reviews:
"Publishers Weekly Review" by , "Between 1142 and 1895, the Thames froze solid 40 times, and Humphreys (Wild Dogs) captures the magic and hardship created by these deep freezes in a series of elegant vignettes. The book opens with Queen Matilda's snow-cloaked escape across the frozen Thames from Oxford Castle, and subsequent snapshots capture everything from fox hunts to the merry Frost Fairs that set up on the solid river. The river is also witness to the Black Death, a window tax and a hearth tax, a crumbling London Bridge and the Luddite uprising. The elements are wonderfully evoked, with coldness so intense that birds fall frozen from the sky, ale freezes solid in its jugs, and trees split apart 'as though struck by lightning.' In a style meditative and poetic, Humphreys crafts a compelling portrait of the role something as seemingly simple as ice has in people's lives and imaginations." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)
"Synopsis" by , "The Frozen Thames" contains 40 vignettes based on events that actually took place each time the river froze between 1142 and 1895. The genre-bending work is stunningly designed and illustrated throughout with full-color period art.
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