Description
A simple, elegaic memoir about Whitby One of the finest, and most beautifully written memoirs with the richness of social history and a strong whiff of the sea. Kennedy Fraser describes this as a book about her house, her country, her memories of her relatives and their ways of life, and reflections on her town -- of Whitby, Yorks of course. Through her own story, she will weave many different strands of social history which include Captain Cook and his great 1768 expedition with Joseph Banks on the Endeavour, her Chatwin-esque farming cousins and the rural traditions they represent, the hussle of a fishing town which was once the fourth busiest port in Britain, the Scoresby whalers one of whom invented the crow's nest, another navigational instruments and the ruined Abbey itself founded by St Hilda in 657 which sits on the cliff wrapped in mists and which has inspired so many ghost stories. It will appeal to The Lighthouse Stevensons readership, with a cross-over escapist dreamers market too. Plus there's the infusion of the sea to pull in those O'Brian fans -- not to mention On the Black Hill.
A simple, elegaic memoir about Whitby One of the finest, and most beautifully written memoirs with the richness of social history and a strong whiff of the sea. Kennedy Fraser describes this as a book about her house, her country, her memories of her relatives and their ways of life, and reflections on her town -- of Whitby, Yorks of course. Through her own story, she will weave many different strands of social history which include Captain Cook and his great 1768 expedition with Joseph Banks on the Endeavour, her Chatwin-esque farming cousins and the rural traditions they represent, the hussle of a fishing town which was once the fourth busiest port in Britain, the Scoresby whalers one of whom invented the crow's nest, another navigational instruments and the ruined Abbey itself founded by St Hilda in 657 which sits on the cliff wrapped in mists and which has inspired so many ghost stories. It will appeal to The Lighthouse Stevensons readership, with a cross-over escapist dreamers market too. Plus there's the infusion of the sea to pull in those O'Brian fans -- not to mention On the Black Hill.
A simple, elegaic memoir about Whitby One of the finest, and most beautifully written memoirs with the richness of social history and a strong whiff of the sea. Kennedy Fraser describes this as a book about her house, her country, her memories of her relatives and their ways of life, and reflections on her town -- of Whitby, Yorks of course. Through her own story, she will weave many different strands of social history which include Captain Cook and his great 1768 expedition with Joseph Banks on the Endeavour, her Chatwin-esque farming cousins and the rural traditions they represent, the hussle of a fishing town which was once the fourth busiest port in Britain, the Scoresby whalers one of whom invented the crow's nest, another navigational instruments and the ruined Abbey itself founded by St Hilda in 657 which sits on the cliff wrapped in mists and which has inspired so many ghost stories. It will appeal to The Lighthouse Stevensons readership, with a cross-over escapist dreamers market too. Plus there's the infusion of the sea to pull in those O'Brian fans -- not to mention On the Black Hill.
Reviews / Votes
'Subtlety, fluency, candor, an agile sensate intellect -- Kennedy Fraser brings all these gifts to bear on a subject (women't lives -- literary women's lives in particular) that is not always contemplated so untendentiously, with such independence of mind, and from such a generous and worldly point of view.' Philip Roth 'Here is an exquisite stylist, demonstrating again the extraordinary penetrating ways she has of looking; her writing is so beautiful, so effortless, as if it is possible to be just born that way.' Jamaica Kincaid'Subtlety, fluency, candor, an agile sensate intellect -- Kennedy Fraser brings all these gifts to bear on a subject (women't lives -- literary women's lives in particular) that is not always contemplated so untendentiously, with such independence of mind, and from such a generous and worldly point of view.' Philip Roth 'Here is an exquisite stylist, demonstrating again the extraordinary penetrating ways she has of looking; her writing is so beautiful, so effortless, as if it is possible to be just born that way.' Jamaica Kincaid
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
HarperCollins Publishers
Illustrations
32 b/w plates
Dimensions
Height: 222 mm
Width: 141 mm
ISBN-13
978-0-00-257206-4 (9780002572064)
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Schweitzer Classification
Person
Kennedy Fraser grew up in England and has lived in New York City for many years. A longtime writer for the NewYorker, she has been a feature writer and columnist for Vogue. She has been a Guggenheim Fellow and the recipient of a Whiting Writer's Award, and is the author of two previous books published by Knopf, The Fashionable Mind and Scenes from the Fashionable World.
Kennedy Fraser grew up in England and has lived in New York City for many years. A longtime writer for the NewYorker, she has been a feature writer and columnist for Vogue. She has been a Guggenheim Fellow and the recipient of a Whiting Writer's Award, and is the author of two previous books published by Knopf, The Fashionable Mind and Scenes from the Fashionable World.
Kennedy Fraser grew up in England and has lived in New York City for many years. A longtime writer for the NewYorker, she has been a feature writer and columnist for Vogue. She has been a Guggenheim Fellow and the recipient of a Whiting Writer's Award, and is the author of two previous books published by Knopf, The Fashionable Mind and Scenes from the Fashionable World.