Shore to Shore: River Stories

by Tamsin Hopkins

Many people will confess to a vague feeling that the Thames is alive. It's a bit like the moon. It works on a deep level that we don't have to think about. We can lose touch with our rivers, even though so many of us live, work and play in the proximity of these arteries, large and small. Rivers are old and most have a history, even a personal mythology that reflects a river's personality, its influence on the major settlements along its journey to the sea, its sex even. Many rivers are female, despite the potentially phallic shape of most of them. The very words we have to describe them reflect deep felt sentiments relating to this. The word Danu, a Hindu and Celtic goddess, gives name to rivers from Scotland to Nepal: Dee, Don, Danube, Dnieper, Dnister, Danu. From Peru to the Rhine, from the Yukatan peninsular to the Thames, across time and cultures, Tamsin Hopkins's stories flow compellingly. Whether strange, tragic or shot through with humour and an eye for detail, the stories are united by a human sensibility and elegant, accessible prose.

210 pages, Paperback

First published February 18, 2016

Reviews

[Rae DelBianco]

Shore to Shore, like the rivers it chronicles, brings stories that arrive smoothly and gracefully and others that collide in chaotic waves. Both ends of the spectrum are equally moving. Hopkins's versatility of voice takes us from heartwrenching hot air balloon rides, to the absurdity and allure of a high heeled figure in the sand on the banks of the Thames, to silent communions with the gods underground. It sounds cliche to say that there's a story for everyone here; really, there's a story for every part of you here. It's a collection of stories you won't be able to put down, and once you've read it through you'll come back to it again and again.

[Rubery Book Award]

Rubery Book Award Shortlisted (2020)

A collection of short stories with the theme of water (rivers, canals etc.) written with a commendable variation in style. Some stories are about water, while others take place near water, and the idea is that the various flows of each body of water is a representative theme in each story. In the stunning opening story, Hani's Baby, the eponymous hero flies a hot air balloon over the skies of Egypt, carrying the body of his still born son. It was a vivid account of Hani's predicament, trapped in a life of stultifying tradition and expectation, and the ballooning details give extra strength. Good, entertaining stories.

www.ruberybookaward.com

[Gretel]

Interesting backdrops to these tales. I wish they all hit me in the way 'Joanna Brown' did.