Thin Ice: Coming of Age in Grand Rapids | 
| Creators: Reinder Van Til, Gordon Olson
Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
Category: Book
List Price: $18.00
Buy New: $8.69
You Save: $9.31 (52%)
New (24) Used (8) from $4.50
Avg. Customer Rating:  2 reviews
Sales Rank: 283656
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 388
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 8.8 x 5.9 x 1.2
ISBN: 0802824781
Dewey Decimal Number: 977.456
EAN: 9780802824783
ASIN: 0802824781
Publication Date: April 26, 2007
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Book Description
This unique volume contains twenty-eight fascinating life stories of people -- many of whom went on to become famous -- who grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The coming-of-age stories in Thin Ice relate a range of experiences both good and bad, including happy memories and heartwarming recollections but also personal traumas, intergenerational and racial conflicts, the strictures of religious belief and practice, the joys and sorrows of young romance, and more. Above and beyond the stories of the more notable personalities -- Jim Harrison, Roger Wilkins, John Hockenberry, President Gerald Ford, Betty Ford, Al Green, Paul Schrader, William Brashler -- the book as whole is chock-full of crisp, humorous, irreverent, and moving writing. Reinder Van Til and Gordon Olson have excerpted half of the pieces from previous publications, while they directly solicited the other half from active writers specifically for this book. The earliest stories go back to the 1830s and 1850s, and the most recent are a cluster of contemporary pieces that describe coming of age in the Grand Rapids of the 1960s through the 1980s. Together they paint a multifaceted, impressionistic portrait of a century and a half in the fair city of Grand Rapids, Michigan. All in all, Thin Ice is a nostalgic treasure for any Grand Rapidian and literary treasure for everyone.
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| Customer Reviews:
A trip through the ages along the Grand River November 15, 2007
I am a Grand Rapids native and a lifelong student of history. Gordon Olson is a well-respected city historian and I thought he and his co-editors have done a marvelous job assembling a thorough and well-balanced perspective of growing up in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
It's sometimes awkward for a native to read less than glowing reviews from the perspective of certain groups or individuals. Clearly the fairly homogenous ethnic make up of the city (in fact much of the West Michigan area) makes it easier to overlook the challenges that minorities have felt through the years, and I certainly appreciated the pain expressed by a few of the contributors.
Still, Grand Rapids is a terrific place to grow up. It's large enough to offer plenty of opportunity, and yet small enough to feel like home. It's thought-provoking to get a sense for some of GR's unique character and cultural fabric already being reflected in its citizens more than 150 years ago.
The hard-working, thrifty, community-oriented stock best represented by the city's favorite son, former President Gerald R. Ford, comes through loud and clear. Thanks are owed to the research team that vetted the work that went into this must read for anyone who wants to truly understand what makes Grand Rapids what it is today.
Great stories-Great writing July 26, 2007
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
I live in the Grand Rapids area, plus I am a high school English teacher, so my natural interest spurred the purchase of this book. At first, when I started reading, I chose stories by authors whose names I recognized. Then I realized that the stories were presented in chronological order, so I started from the beginning. No matter what order is chosen, every story is wonderful. They are all very different in style and feeling, but a sense of place shines through, as well as a sophistication that belies Grand Rapids' humble demeanor. These stories are universal, engaging and fun. I have read hundreds of short stories, and this collection truly stands out.
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