A simple story neatly told, weaving history together history, biography and evocative descriptions of eighteenth century London. Three children - their ages, as with the style of writing, are presented as young and naive to begin with, but Jem, Maisie and Maggie are all in their mid-teens - are forced to 'cross the river' from innocence to experience during one tumultuous year in the late eighteenth century. The Kellaway family move from rural Dorsetshire to a smog-bound, cruel, hard-working London in 1792, and befriend a local girl, Maggie Butterfield. Living next door to the family, in a row of houses owned by Philip Astley (the man considered to be the father of the circus), is mad poet and radical William Blake. The children befriend him and his wife, admire his poetry (much quoted), and form a mutual protection society against the anti-revolutionary feeling building in the city.

I picked up this book because of the tenuousconnection with the French Revolution, my pet subject, but apart from the year and the growing tension towards the end of the story, the characters and setting actually evoke more of a Victorian atmosphere, sort of Charles Dickens lite. Still, I wasn't disappointed - it is very easy to get carried away by the vivid descriptions of life back then, from London streets to the harsh working conditions of girls like Maggie, and there is also the occasional literary gem to be found in what could otherwise be read as a YA novel. I particularly love the imagery Chevalier uses to portray emotions - 'He gazed at his wife and she gazed back. To Jem it felt as if they were holding the ends of a rope and pulling it tight between them.' Also, the corruption of Milton's 'Paradise Lost' into 'pear tree's loss' by one of the characters has poignant associations for the Kellaways, and although the device is rather contrived, the effect is very emotional.

The research into the background of the fictional characters is also fascinating - William Blake and circusmaster Philip Astley are real figures, of course, but I think Tracy Chevalier deserves special mention for placing Piddletrenthide, Dorsetshire, on the literary map! Some of the exposition can occasionally become heavy-handed, but the enjoyable story carries the infodumps well.

Vaguely plotted, but good fun and a quick read. ( )

It's March of 1792, and young Jem Kellaway and his family move from their small, rural village in the Piddle Valley to the bustling city of London. It doesn't take long for Jem and his friend Maggie to become acquainted with neighborhood outcast William Blake. A political radical, Blake guides the youngsters through the messy entanglements of everyday life while they influence his poetry. ( )

This story is about a community in outlying London during the late 1790's. The Kellaway family, moved into town from a small village in the countryside, must adapt to their new city life and to their new neighbors, the least of which is author and artist, William Blake. While the Kellaway family finds Mr. Blake to be a helpful, honorable man, other townspeople suspect him of being a sympathizer to the French Revolution and seek to send him to his punishment as a traitor. Tracy Chevalier has a talent with words, painting pictures to make you feel as if you're actually in England, experiencing the beauty of the countryside or the murkiness of the constant winter fog. ( )

i do not recommend this book. it is too scattered in content and too hard to figure out who or what the book is about. ( )

I read this book because I so enjoyed "Girl with the Pearl Earring" by the same author. I was disappointed, principally because of the lack of a strong story-line to keep things going. On the plus side, I enjoyed the historical setting, which is London in 1792-3. William Blake is used as a significant, but not major character, unlike the way Vermeer played a starring role in "Girl". The teenaged main characters are Blake's next door neighbors and make for pleasant but unremarkable protagonists. I continued to read to see if the plot line grew stronger, and it did, near the end. If you liked "Girl with the Pearl Earring", or are looking to try Tracy Chevalier's work, I'd pass on this. ( )