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A Mudlarking Year  By  cover art

A Mudlarking Year

By: Lara Maiklem
Narrated by: Lara Maiklem
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Publisher's summary

'An absolute treasure trove of sound advice and historical detail' Katherine May
'A delightful and a profound meditation on the variety of human experience' Ian Mortimer
'Lara Maiklem is a phenomenon. She elevates trudging around in the mud to an epic gallivant through our past' Dan Snow

For over two decades, Lara Maiklem has been scouring the banks of the tidal Thames looking for objects – lost or discarded – that tell forgotten stories. In this charming sequel to the bestselling Mudlarking, Lara widens her search beyond the river and reflects on life lived post-pandemic, reminding us that it’s possible to draw meaning in the most unlikely of places.

As she searches the foreshore through the changing seasons, she is at times aided by the gentle illumination of the falling winter sun or hindered by bright summer skies and lashing rain. Yet, by working in harmony with the unpredictable terrain, she finds solace in aligning with the elements and uncovering the treasures that are bestowed by the tide. From medieval pilgrim badges and Tudor love tokens, to Georgian wig curlers and Victorian pottery, each passing day unearths ordinary and extraordinary objects that tell the rich story of London’s past and its inhabitants.

A Mudlarking Year is a gentle ode to nature, history and the simple art of looking. Guided by Lara’s curiosity, warmth and wisdom, it is your invitation to discover hidden objects in the most overlooked part of the city, the secrets they reveal and the stories that are patiently waiting to be told.

©2024 Lara Maiklem (P)2024 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Critic reviews

As with anything Lara Maiklem writes, I read it in a hungry gulp. It is totally transporting: the mysteries of the foreshore are ever enchanting, and in her hands, tangible. She writes with such elegance that I could read her day in, day out (Sophie Dahl)
Evocative, beautifully written and endlessly fascinating, this is a book to get lost in, whatever the season. There is a delicious sense of anticipation and discovery throughout, and the reader is rewarded with a rich and eclectic trove of finds - from a Neolithic arrowhead to a Tudor posy ring. These seemingly disparate fragments of history unite to form a dazzling patchwork of the past (Tracy Borman)
A beautiful, meandering book, much like the river itself, time and nature collide in the gloopy mud of the Thames. Enchanting, lyrical and historically fascinating (Sam Heughan)
A Mudlarking Year is a beautiful reflection of what it means to be human. It is a connection to the past through both tangible history and the eternal cycle of nature that has always bound us. This is creative, thoughtful book that makes me want to sink my own hands into the silt of the river (Helen Carr)
A Mudlarking Year is a book like no other: with her unequivocal talent and narrative flair, Lara Maiklem takes her readers on an enticing adventure and offers them the opportunity to encounter the lost objects of the past. Warm, personable, and thoroughly absorbing, A Mudlarking Year is a triumph of a page-turner and a truly inspirational read (Nicola Tallis)
A truly wonderful book, full of fascinating details from start to finish. A must read for any Londoner, as you'll see the city with fresh eyes. I loved it! (Alice Loxton)
Lara Maiklem’s beautiful diary of mudlarking is a powerful reflection on time, history and attention to the present moment. Her voice is rich and warm, inviting to see beyond the surface of abandoned fragments of lost and shattered things to a deeper connection with the people of the past. For me, Maiklem’s work is not unlike that of the therapist who seeks to understand the history of people’s experience but must stand and look and not rush in too deep nor too fast (Gwen Adshead)

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