Frederick Gorham Thurber

In the Wake of the Willows transfers the crew and their extended families to the mouth of an unnamed river in New England, probably Massachusetts. There is no narrative explanation within the story; but the author is an avid naturalist from there, as he explains in the forward.
Unfortunately, he is not a particularly good storyteller. It feels as if he is manufacturing crises instead of allowing the events to unfold naturally. And he foreshadows events in an annoying way, at the end of chapters.
He does an okay job of phrasing at times, but the main characters are frequently given the title “Mr.” which Grahame rarely does.
I like bits. One character name is Peevish McWeasel. But the gathering spot is a tavern, rather than homes or riverside picnic spots. And the Beaver uses a noisy chainsaw. (??)

Despite the awful cover, the interior illustrations are nice. Amy Thurber does not attempt to draw the characters. Most drawings are chapter headings… (meer)