Of Walden Pond: Henry David Thoreau, Frederic Tudor, and the Pond Between by Lesa Cline-Ransome and Ashley Benham Yazdani! [Review & Giveaway]

ISBN: 9780823448586
Hardcover | $18.99 US

My thoughts:  A beautifully illustrated and written book. Thoreau and his life at Walden pond is familiar as his writings were a source of study when I was in school. Mr. Tudor I had never heard of. As much as Mr. Thoreau loved and protected Walden pond and his own privacy, this story of Mr. Tudor's blossoming ice business really came as a surprise to me. Though it was not even mentioned in this book, I can only imagine the stress Tudor's presence and his invasive ice harvest at Walden pond had on Thoreau and how Thoreau might have opposed it.

The story is basically about Tudor's success in creating a market for the ice that topped Walden pond and which he had cut into blocks and shipped to India. The "bounty" of Walden pond for both men is touched upon - the ice for Tudor and the "inspiration" for Thoreau. 

The text speaks to Thoreau's limited touch upon the natural resources of Walden pond with his tiny cabin in the woods where he had just enough room to write of the wonders of nature and the waters of Walden pond.

I really like this book and it gives a brief bio-introduction into Walden pond, Thoreau, and Tudor.

About the book:  Thoreau and Tudor could not have been more different from each other. Yet both shared the bounties of Walden Pond and would change the course of history through their writings and innovations.

This study in opposites contrasts the austere philosopher with the consummate capitalist (whose innovations would change commercial ice harvesting and home refrigerator s) to show how two seemingly conflicting American legacies could be built side by side.

Oddball 

tax dodger

nature lover

dreamer

That's what they called

Thoreau.

Bankrupt

disgrace

good for nothing

dreamer

That's what they called

Tudor.

Celebrated author Lesa Cline-Ransome takes her magnificent talent for research and detail to plumb the depths of these two history-makers. The graceful text is paired with Ashley Benham-Yazdani's period accurate watercolor and pencil artwork. In winter, readers see Tudor's men sawing through the ice, the workhorses dragging the ice, and Thoreau observing it all; in spring, summer, and fall, the ice continues its journey across the globe with Thoreau and Tudor writing and reflecting in their respective diaries.

An Author's Note, which explores how Thoreau's writings influenced such figures as Martin Luther King Jr., Robert Frost, and Mohandas Gandhi, is included. 

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DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy from Holiday House Books to facilitate a review. Opinions are mine, alone and are freely given. Winner's prize is provided and shipped directly to the winner by publisher or publicist. Chat With Vera is not responsible for lost or misdirected prizes.