I will start by sharing my thrill with Edmund de Waal as a writer and ceramicist. His book, The Hare with the Amber Eyes, is a treasure of history and family that has the power to educate world history effectively and in context. The passion with which de Waal writes is palpable and his family’s story gives one a real life picture of great success and desperate loss.
I enjoyed this book so much that I couldn’t wait to sink my teeth into his next book, The White Road; his in-depth discussion around porcelain is again a deliberate education around the world history of porcelain. Characters are introduced and fully articulated to share a holistic view of the art form that is porcelain. Edmund de Waal’s work in porcelain now has an even richer depth of craftsmanship and character. One understands that his passion runs so deeply that he was and is willing to spend years of time researching, travelling and touching the heritage of ceramics, particularly porcelain, in our world.
Then, I was thrilled to find that on the heels of The White Road, de Waal also helped bring forward a book written by his grandmother called The Exiles Return: A Novel. Her story is beautifully rendered, clearly by a member of this family who takes details and understanding what it means to live an honest life very seriously. A lovely book that one doesn’t want to end.
Enjoy each of these wonderful books at the links below, and some of our favorite work by De Waal is to follow:
De Waal, Edmund. The Hare with the Amber Eyes: A Hidden Inheritance, 2011.
De Waal, Edmund. The White Road: Journey into an Obsession, 2016.
De Waal, Elisabeth. The Exiles Return: A Novel, 2014.
My best,
Edmund de Waal (b. 1964), 2015
Image courtesy of the artist’s website.
Edmund de Waal (b. 1964), 2015
Image courtesy of the artist’s website.
Edmund de Waal (b. 1964), 2015
Image courtesy of the artist’s website.
Edmund de Waal (b. 1964), 2015
Image courtesy of the artist’s website
Edmund de Waal (b. 1964), Porcelain Wall, porcelain, various glazes, 2005
Image courtesy of Interpreting Ceramics, Issue 14, 2012