Mudlark

First line: It is hot and airless on the 7.42 from Greenwich to Cannon Street.

Summary: Mudlarker Lara Maiklem spends hours walking miles along the riverbank of the Thames in London. In her wanderings she finds little trinkets that give us a look into the English past. She has found items ranging from the Romans to modern day trash.

My Thoughts: I absolutely devoured this book. I first heard about it on a podcast called Talking Tudors hosted by Natalie Grueninger. In one of her recent releases she talked with Lara about her upcoming book and the Tudor related finds she has discovered in the mud of the river. Immediately after listening to it I had to find a copy to read. Thank goodness Netgalley had it available.

I really enjoyed how the author laid out the book. She started at one end of the Thames and worked her way to the sea. As she described her finds she also delved into her past, experiences on the foreshore and other mudlarks and their finds. I loved learning about the items she found. I was constantly on the internet looking for pictures of these items and reading more history behind them. I am really jealous of the items she has in her curio cabinet. I am seriously thinking about getting a day pass to mudlark the next time I am in London. Or can I mudlark in Kansas?

FYI: Lara Maiklem is on Facebook and Instagram. If you want to see her finds and hear more about mudlarking then check them out.

Mudlark, the debut work of Lara Maiklem is, by far, the most engaging non-fiction book I’ve read in ages. From Maiklem’s first lines, I immediately felt as though I were travelling right along with her, walking side-by-side along the foreshore of London’s ancient river. Her prose is richly detailed without being overwrought, each word chosen carefully to paint the whole picture. Maiklem doesn’t merely describe the items she has found, she puts them into context; who would have used them, and why they were discovered in a certain part of the river. London through the ages is brought to life through her deft story-telling. Reading Mudlark felt just as addicting as I’m sure actual mudlarking is – each time I stepped away, I counted the hours until I could go back and immerse myself again in the muddy waters of the Thames.