The year is 1825, and a young, ambitious Englishman has arrived in burgeoning New York City, at the auspicious moment of the opening of Erie Canal. Thomas Cole is an artist, with skills he spent years mastering. In a nation of immigrants and upstarts, his challenge is to navigate through a complex, tight-knit community of emerging artists, hide-bound critics and wealthy patrons, searching for ways to support his dream. There are other obstacles, as well: a new nation still tied to Old World values; a dependent father's failing business ventures; and his own recurring periods of faltering self-confidence, loneliness and melancholy.
In this work of historical fiction, the author reads 'between the lines' of Cole's many journals, letters and essays, to reanimate the essence of the man, his motivation, inspiration and travels, given the harsh realities of city and country life in the early 19th century. In a more contemporary context, the author explores the same Hudson River valleys, towns and surrounding mountains that Cole would have known. The region's timeless allure for both travelers--stories separated by nearly two centuries--offer new perspectives on the life and times of the "Father of the Hudson River School" of painting; and that of a fellow, modern sojourner, drawn as Cole was, to the splendor of America's 'first' river.
“You have mastered the vital skill of recreating an historic scene through visual details, bringing to life the atmosphere—and the mood—of an America long forgotten. By crafting a world as seen through your eyes, and those of Thomas Cole, the reader can once again imagine living amid the timeless beauty of the Hudson River Valley. A half-century ago, these Hudson shores were my playground. There are many memories and much beauty to be found in these pages.”
~ Norman Weissman, Legendary Documentarian, Historian and Author
“Friswell plunges his readers back in time, into the soulful currents of the Hudson River, as well as into the lives of those influential figures who, likewise, could not escape its pull. Straddled alongside 19th century New York City, an undeniable geographic component, with beautiful wordsmithing the author touches his musings with painterly strokes.”
~ Carolina Fernandez, Artist, Author, Cultural Entrepreneur
“‘Chonicles’ is layered and meandering, but holds together as a fascinating voyage of discovery. I am so thoroughly delighted to read what you’ve accomplished here....you’ve integrated so much knowledge on so many levels, but made it accessible to readers who care about the eddies and depths of American life and culture.”
~ Amy Henderson, Historian Emeritus, National Portrait Gallery, Washington, D.C.
