Description
Small4to. 192pp. Hardcover with brown cloth boards,and a fawn coloured Shepard illustrated non price-clipped d/w with bold titles on both front and spine, also in excellent, fine condition and now protected by clear archival covering, all internal text and artwork remains in a pristine state devoid of any damage or prior owner notations. The book comprises the author’s letters to his son, seven year old Alastair (who was known as Mouse), written during the summer of 1907 and thus became the draft of ‘The Wind in the Willows’.. In 1899, Grahame was actually the Secretary of the Bank of England and had already written two well received books including Dream Days (1898), marrying at age forty with a child (Alistair) born prematurely and partially blind. As well as revealing the originals of these many letters and being beautifully illustrated in b/w and colour throughout by the famous illustrator Shepard, the book examines his relationship with his son within a troubled marriage. A wonderful addition to the libraries of both Grahame and Shepard devotees