The River Bank
A sequel to Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows
-
- $9.99
Publisher Description
In this delightful dive into the bygone world of Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows staunch Mole, sociable Water Rat, severe Badger, and troublesome and ebullient Toad of Toad Hall are joined by a young mole lady, Beryl, and her dear friend, Rabbit. There are adventures, kidnappings, lost letters, and family secrets—lavishly illustrated throughout by award-winning artist Kathleen Jennings.
Praise for Kij Johnson:
“The Fox Woman immediately sets the author in the front rank of today’s novelists.” —Lloyd Alex-ander
“Johnson has a singular vision and I’m going to be borrowing (stealing) from her.” —Sherman Alexie
“Johnson’s language is beautiful, her descriptions of setting visceral, and her characters compellingly drawn.” —Publishers Weekly (starred re-view)
“Johnson would fit quite comfortably on a shelf with Karen Russell, Erin Morgen-stern and others who hover in the simultaneous state of being both “literary” and “fantasy” writ-ers.” —Shelf Awareness
Kij Johnson’s stories have won the Sturgeon, World Fantasy, and Nebula awards. She has taught writing and has worked at Dark Horse, Microsoft, and Real Networks. She has run bookstores, worked as a radio announcer and engineer, edited cryptic crosswords, and waitressed in a strip bar.
Kathleen Jennings was raised on fairytales in western Queensland. She trained as a lawyer and filled the margins of her notes with pen-and-ink illustrations. She has been nominated for the World Fantasy award and has received several Ditmar Awards. She lives in Brisbane, Australia.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Anthropomorphized friends Mole, Water Rat, Badger, and the notorious Toad of Toad Hall are back in Johnson's sequel to Kenneth Grahame's 1908 children's novel set in Edwardian England, The Wind in the Willows. When a young lady-mole named Beryl and her companion, Rabbit, move to the River Bank, they spark a series of comical misunderstandings and adventures. Johnson neatly captures the quaint whimsy of Grahame's original book, complete with asides from the omniscient narrator ("The Mole took the kettle off and banked the fire for he knew that one should never leave a fire unattended, and so ought you.") She also does an excellent job of addressing issues of gender and class in Grahame's original novel; Beryl, an "authoress" of successful murder mysteries, and her friend Rabbit, whose spirit of recklessness could put the Toad himself to shame, incite a flurry of anxieties. "I am sure they are very nice animals," says the Mole, "but females, you know. You know what they are like.... I don't see why we need anyone else. We went along admirably enough without them." The Mole may come to eat his words, and the adventures that expose the root of his assumptions are sparkling and witty without sacrificing narrative tension. This is a sequel that will hit the spot for Grahame fans, but isn't afraid to build on his characters and fill in some gaps for a modern readership.
