Swan RiverSwan River
Memoir of a Family Mystery
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Book, 2002
Current format, Book, 2002, , All copies in use.Book, 2002
Current format, Book, 2002, , All copies in use. Offered in 0 more formatsAs a child, David Reynolds developed a fascination with the story of his long-dead grandfather, who, decades earlier, had mysteriously disappeared from London and ended up in Swan River, Manitoba. In this compelling family history, Reynolds tells how he unearthed the spellbinding story of his East End forebears as he came of age in London in the swinging Sixties. As an adult, he eventually made the journey to Swan River, where he discovered the last piece of the puzzle and found a kind of peace. Humorous, nostalgic and beautifully written, Swan River poignantly plays out the themes of love, loss and the human need for roots and dignity that exists in every age.
As a child, David Reynolds developed a fascination with the story of his grandfather, now long dead, who had mysteriously disappeared from London decades earlier. Reynolds interrogated relatives, read diaries and over time slowly pieced together a spellbinding story. The trail led from Dalstan in London’s East End to a remote town in Manitoba, on the edge of the Canadian prairies, by way of a tragic romance in Victorian London, and the harsh life of an impoverished exile.
In these pages Reynolds tells how he unearthed the colourful story of his East End forebears as he came of age in the wildly contrasting milieu of London in the swinging Sixties. Family members from four generations are beautifully drawnfrom his great-aunt, a music hall artiste who walked on her hands while playing the violin with her feet, to Reynolds’s own father, a complex man best described as a warm-hearted monster.
Humorous, nostalgic and beautifully written, Swan River poignantly plays out the themes of love, loss and the human need for roots and dignity that exist in every age.
Swan River is a compelling and nostalgic family memoir that explores themes of love, loss, and discovery. As a child, David Reynolds developed a fascination with the story of his grandfather, who had mysteriously disappeared from London decades earlier. Reynolds consulted relatives, read diaries, and slowly pieced together a spellbinding story. Family members from four generations are beautifully drawn from his great-aunt who could walk on her hands while playing the violin with her feet, to Reynolds’s own father, a warm-hearted man of great complexity.
As a child, David Reynolds developed a fascination with the story of his grandfather, now long dead, who had mysteriously disappeared from London decades earlier. Reynolds interrogated relatives, read diaries and over time slowly pieced together a spellbinding story. The trail led from Dalstan in London’s East End to a remote town in Manitoba, on the edge of the Canadian prairies, by way of a tragic romance in Victorian London, and the harsh life of an impoverished exile.
In these pages Reynolds tells how he unearthed the colourful story of his East End forebears as he came of age in the wildly contrasting milieu of London in the swinging Sixties. Family members from four generations are beautifully drawnfrom his great-aunt, a music hall artiste who walked on her hands while playing the violin with her feet, to Reynolds’s own father, a complex man best described as a warm-hearted monster.
Humorous, nostalgic and beautifully written, Swan River poignantly plays out the themes of love, loss and the human need for roots and dignity that exist in every age.
Swan River is a compelling and nostalgic family memoir that explores themes of love, loss, and discovery. As a child, David Reynolds developed a fascination with the story of his grandfather, who had mysteriously disappeared from London decades earlier. Reynolds consulted relatives, read diaries, and slowly pieced together a spellbinding story. Family members from four generations are beautifully drawn from his great-aunt who could walk on her hands while playing the violin with her feet, to Reynolds’s own father, a warm-hearted man of great complexity.
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- Vancouver : Greystone Books, 2002.
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