{"title":"Edmund de Waal","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEdmund de Waal\u003c\/strong\u003e crafts deeply reflective works that blend personal memoir with historical narrative. His writing often explores memory, family history, and the passage of time, inviting readers into intimate journeys through art, heritage, and identity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFrom contemplative biographies to evocative histories, his books offer a rich tapestry of cultural insight and emotional depth. Readers can expect eloquent storytelling that connects the past to the present with poetic sensitivity.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"the-hare-with-amber-eyes","title":"The Hare With Amber Eyes","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Hare With Amber Eyes\u003c\/em\u003e by Edmund de Waal is a stunningly original memoir that weaves together the threads of history, art, and personal discovery. At the heart of the book lies a collection of 264 exquisite wood and ivory carvings known as 'netsuke', none larger than a matchbox. These intricate objects first captivated the author when he encountered them in the Tokyo apartment of his great uncle, Iggie.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe tale unravels when de Waal inherits the netsuke, uncovering a story that spans continents and centuries. The journey begins with the Ephrussi family, prosperous grain exporters from Odessa, who gained tremendous wealth and influence in the 19th century. By the 1870s, Charles Ephrussi had settled in Paris as part of this affluent lineage, becoming an avid art collector. It was Charles who brought the netsuke into the family's possession, acquiring them during a period when Japanese art and aesthetics captivated European salons. As a magnanimous gesture, he sent the collection as a wedding gift to his banker cousin in Vienna.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn Vienna, the netsuke became beloved playthings for three children, including a young Ignace, as their lives were both enriched and eventually threatened by the seismic shifts of history. The Anschluss and the onset of the Second World War brought devastation, placing the Ephrussi family on the brink of ruin. Amidst the chaos, almost all that remained of their once vast empire was the netsuke collection, shielded from destruction by the bravery of a loyal maid during the Nazi occupation of their grand Viennese palace.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDe Waal embarks on a global quest, visiting the majestic residences once inhabited by his relatives and piecing together the fragmented narrative of his ancestry. In \u003cem\u003eThe Hare With Amber Eyes\u003c\/em\u003e, he masterfully traces the intricate networks of a remarkable family, set against the tumultuous backdrop of the 20th century. Through the eyes of his forebears, de Waal brings to life a poignant family saga and the enduring significance of their cherished netsuke collection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis memoir is not only a journey through time but also an exploration of resilience, art, and the lingering echoes of history. De Waal’s lyrical prose and meticulous research make \u003cem\u003eThe Hare With Amber Eyes\u003c\/em\u003e an unforgettable read for those passionate about culture, heritage, and the power of objects to tell profound stories.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45692410593516,"sku":"9780099539551","price":30.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9780099539551.jpg?v=1725562040"},{"product_id":"letters-to-camondo","title":"Letters to Camondo","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom the author of the bestselling phenomenon \u003cem\u003eThe Hare with Amber Eyes\u003c\/em\u003e, discover the rise and fall of an extraordinary family in twentieth century Europe.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAs you may have guessed by now, I am not in your house by accident. I know your street rather well.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Camondos lived just a few doors away from Edmund de Waal's forebears. Like de Waal's family, they were part of belle époque high society. They were also targets of anti-Semitism.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eCount Moise de Camondo created a spectacular house filled with art for his son to inherit. Over a century later, de Waal explores the lavish rooms and detailed archives and, in a haunting series of letters addressed to Camondo, he tells us what happened next.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eIlluminating... A wonderful tribute to a family and to an idea\u003c\/em\u003e – Guardian\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cem\u003eLetters to Camondo\u003c\/em\u003e immerses you in another age... Dazzling\u003c\/em\u003e – Financial Times\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45695475810540,"sku":"9781529114294","price":20.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781529114294.jpg?v=1725630924"},{"product_id":"how-to-begin-by-edmund-de-waal-9781784746704","title":"How to Begin","description":"","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47638450700524,"sku":"9781784746704","price":39.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781784746704-how-to-begin.jpg?v=1779070249"},{"product_id":"the-hare-with-amber-eyes-by-edmund-de-waal-9781250811271","title":"The Hare with Amber Eyes","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e Bestseller\u003cbr\u003eAn \u003ci\u003eEconomist\u003c\/i\u003e Book of the Year\u003cbr\u003eCosta Book Award Winner for Biography\u003cbr\u003eGalaxy National Book Award Winner (New Writer of the Year Award)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEdmund de Waal is a world-famous ceramicist. Having spent thirty years making beautiful pots—sold, collected, and handed on—he has a particular sense of the secret lives of objects. When he inherited a collection of 264 tiny Japanese wood and ivory carvings, called netsuke, he wanted to know who had touched and held them, and how the collection had managed to survive.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAnd so begins \u003ci\u003eThe Hare with Amber Eyes\u003c\/i\u003e, this extraordinarily moving memoir and detective story as de Waal discovers both the story of the netsuke and of his family, the Ephrussis, over five generations. A nineteenth-century banking dynasty in Paris and Vienna, the Ephrussis were as rich and respected as the Rothschilds. Yet by the end of World War II, when the netsuke were hidden from the Nazis in Vienna, this collection of very small carvings was all that remained of their vast empire.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47643338703084,"sku":"9781250811271","price":55.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/16083f4dcfc48abaea66177d5d46a23b.jpg?v=1779228542"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.live\/collections\/edmund-de-waal.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}