Jonathan Rees

I actually had a vested interest in this book. My late father in law would tell us stories about his employment in the ice industry, where he worked as a teenager, backbreaking work delivering ice to homes. His father had lost his job, and all the money he made delivering ice went to pay the mortgage on the house in which his family lived. So when I saw this book I wanted to see exactly what his job entailed.

This was not in any way handled as narrative nonfiction, it is more of a scholarly rendering. I did learn much, as the book is divided into definitive segments, each covering their own topic. The beginning of the ice trade, how is was cut and where, the means used to keep it from melting, how it was delivered, inventions that made it easier, and how what we ate changed because of ice. Seems like it was a common job for Irish immigrants, among others. At one point over 25,000 workers, cu ice on the Hudson River, which was not an easy job and dangerous as well. So parts were fascinating and I loved the black and white photos that were interspersed here and there. Very informative book for those interested in this subject from a historical viewpoint.

ARC from Edelweiss.… (more)