The Willows and Beyond (Tales of the Willows) - Softcover

Horwood, William

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0006496393 ISBN 13: 9780006496397

Publisher: HarperCollins, 2011

Synopsis

Toad of Toad Hall has his finest hour – in the final volume of William Horwood’s bestselling Tales of the Willows sequence.

First in The Willows in Winter and then in Toad Triumphant, William Horwood returned to the idyllic setting of The Wind in the Willows and successfully brought back Kenneth Grahame’s much-loved characters in two new bestselling tales. Now he brings to a triumphant conclusion one of the world’s most popular stories – with over 60 illustrations by the award-winning Patrick Benson.

It began, long ago, when Mole abandoned his spring-cleaning and first met Ratty, Badger, Otter and, of course, the exasperating Toad. Now we find the loyal companions approaching the autumn of their lives, reflecting on their many escapades together, and preparing to hand over to the next generation. But there are still plenty of surprises in store, for young and old – especially when their beloved River Bank way of life is suddenly threatened with destruction.

About this title

Review:

William Horwood, author of two other bestselling "sequels" to Kenneth Grahame's beloved classic, The Wind in the Willows (The Willows in Winter and Toad Triumphant), picks up where Grahame left off, with nary a misstep. The flavor and tone of his thrilling story, along with Patrick Benson's marvelous crosshatched illustrations, have done the impossible: brought Grahame's characters back to life. Like a river, time moves inexorably forward. Ratty, Mole, Otter, Toad, and Badger are growing older. They are content to live out their lives on the River Bank in peaceful reflection--until, that is, one of those mysterious eddies of life picks them up and spins them around. It all starts when Rat, while "communing" with the River, senses that something is terribly wrong. Soon after, a mysterious summons to collect an item from the post office arrives. From there, the adventures gather speed. Whether fighting off the horrible Beast of the Iron Bridge, rescuing Rat from a near-fatal bout with indigestion, or trying to save the Wild Wood from impending, polluting Progress, the friends have no time to slip quietly into old age. Even so, each animal must begin to prepare for the next generation. (All ages, 9 and older) --Emilie Coulter

From the Publisher:

Praise for William Horwood's Tales of the Willows series:

"Better than a sequel--Horwood loves and understands Grahame's dream, and wants not to cash in on it but to be part of it." --The Times (London) on The Willows and Beyond

"With its humor, tenderness, suspense, and happy ending, this novel will appeal to everyone who likes a pleasant story and a good read." --The Christian Science Monitor on Toad Triumphant

"The old characters pop back to life as you begin reading." --The New York Times on The Willows in Winter

"Patrick Benson's cross-hatched illustrations seem to have been lovingly guided by the hand of Ernest Shepard...." --Cleveland Plain Dealer on The Willows in Winter

About this edition

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 0006496393
• ISBN 13: 9780006496397
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 304
• Illustrator: Benson Patrick