T.K. Welsh

THE UNRESOLVED

The Newburyport Current, February 2008
"Too many historical novels written for youth feel like an after-school special — the history feels forced, and the stories are uninspired. Then there are authors who compel you to learn more about the times and places in which their stories are set...Most of us have never heard of the General Slocum Steamship Disaster, a blaze that killed more than 1,000 people in New York City in 1904. A fictionalized account is given by the ghost of a 15-year-old passenger in The Unresolved, by T.K. Welsh. Anti-Semitic and bigoted views of the residents are revealed when they seek out a scapegoat to blame for the tragedy...These writers weave in historical facts, sometimes introducing real-life characters into the narrative, as they create stories that are so rich in authentic details and personal emotions, the fictional accounts will inspire readers to research the actual events. History doesn’t have to be boring."

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Reader Reviews -- THE UNRESOLVED

Here's what readers like you are saying about THE UNRESOLVED:

Lizette @ Barnes & Noble.com
Fantastic Ghost Story
"I loved this book. It was really, really scary and yet full of hope. Mallory is a great character. I couldn't put it down."

Kelly @ Bookshelves of Doom
"I LOVE T.K. Welsh's books. I'm so glad The Unresolved made the (Teens' Top Ten) list. His books are completely crossover, and should be read by adults as well."

Teen Reviewer @ 2007 Teens' Top Ten Book Nominees
"Brilliant story, beautifully written."

ML @ SeeMe4Books
"This was a great book. It really made me feel like I was back in 1904. It's a ghost story and a love story, and it's really creepy but beautiful. I couldn't put it down."

Annie/Winks @ www.goodreads.com
"You start this book thinking that you know the end before you get there because it's clear the narrator is dead. But then she dies right in the beginning of the book and you spend the rest of your time following her and the other still live characters around as she tries to get justice meted out for the burning of the boat she was on with over a thousand others, many of whom also perished. It is an excellent thing to be able to write a compelling book that holds you until the climax, guides you through every turn and provides you with an excellent explanation of historical zenophobia and sexism in turn of the century New York City."

Ben @ www.goodreads.com
"Beautifully written and haunting. I highly recommend this book. Fantastic! Shouldn't be just for young adults. This and Welsh's other so-called teen book (Resurrection Men) transcend the genre."

Sylvana @ the Christian Science Monitor, Book Bits, Readers' Picks
"The Unresolved by T.K. Welsh is historical fiction for young adults based on the real General Slocum steamship disaster. It was one of the best books I've read all year."

Jessica @ BN.com
"The most interesting book ever.  I am someone who reads a lot of tec. i think this is the most coolest book ever because it is just a book someone could really get in to."

Bazile @ www.goodreads.com
"This book challanged my expectations of young adult fiction. I read this book because it was assigned it to youth reading club that I moderate and I must say I was happily surprised at how well written it was. The story was engrossing, the characters well defined and I didn't feel as if I had wandered into a pint sized version of a soap opera.

The story revolves around an actual event, the fire and sinking of the General Slocum steamship in 1904 which until 9/11 was the worst loss of life in NYC. As a New Yorker I was appalled that I had no idea about this. A fifteen year old German girl Mallory is on an outing with her family and more than a thousand other German immigrants on the boat. They are on a day cruise, by the end of the day Mallory and over a thousand others will be dead, a Jewish boy implicated in the fire and a witchunt will have begun.

TK Welsh does an amazing job of painting early 20th century New York and all of its issues. Antisemitism, sexism, immigration, zenophobia, love, betrayal, death and redemption are all featured in a plot that moves along breathlessly. Mallory, as a ghost is trying to come to grips with her ever after as well as keeping an eye on her friends and family. As she learns the truth of what happened to her she sets out to make sure that the truth does come out.

The girls in my reading group (Katrina survivors) loved this book and I must say I did also. Mallory's life is changed but she adapts and finds strength in her new status, the world of 1904 New York is not so different than modern day and one voice can move mountains. I've since made my "adult" friends read this book and they've all enjoyed it. Bravo to TK Welsh for bringing history alive with such beautiful language and story. A great book and a must read."

Carol Reinhard @ www.tkwelsh.com
"I loved The Unresolved. In fact loved it so much I have chosen it to be the featured book this month on an on-line book club I edit for Christie Vilsack, the former first lady of Iowa."

Norgelia @ The New York Times, "Book News and Reviews" Forum
"I just read my daughter's latest book, The Unresolved, by TK Welsh, and it made me think that there may be hope for (the YA) genre. I am so sick of her reading books that are mini versions of Sex and the City.  This book dealt with the General Slocum tragedy, which I had never heard of. Well-written, the book dealt with some weighty topics -- anti-semitism, death and dying, justice -- without losing momentum or becoming maudlin. Mallory, the main character, is a great young protagonist and, placed against the backdrop of historical events, I was impressed at how beautiful and evocative the language was. I was encouraged that my daughter would read something which would enlarge her brain rather than deplete my wallet (have you read about the clothing in some of these teen books? Paris Hilton wannabees.) I'm grateful for The Unresolved...."

Carlie, teen librarian, in Hackensack, NJ @ BCCLS Mock Awards
Listed as a nominee for the "Printz Award"

Scarlett @ www.penguin.ca
"The Unresolved is a great book. T.K. Welsh tells the story of the General Slocum, a steamship that sank in NYC. This ghost story really grabs your attention and keeps it throughout the entire book. I would reccomend it to any young adult looking for a good ghost story."

Dee @ www.yabookscentral.com
"This book was very touching because it was based on a true story. It is about love, lies, and death...It is a sad story, but love prevails. I recommend this book!!"

Penny @ www.reads4teens.org
"It was great! I love the way Mallory goes into the different characters and feels what they're feeling and thinks what they're thinking. She's stuck on earth trying to make sure the guilty are punished and because she's so in love with her Jewish boyfriend, Dustin, who's accused of starting the fire on the ship...It's both a love story and a ghost story in one. Creepy and romantic too."

SQUIRREL610 @ www.amazon.com
"(A) mesmerizing, often brilliant new historical YA novel by T.K. Welsh...Caught in that netherspace between this world and the next, there is no place where Mallory belongs...The Unresolved is a story of a love that's so great the rupture of death cannot break it. It's a story of a girl's spirit, unresolved yet resilient, betwixt this and what follows; neither child nor adult; neither lover nor friend. It's a story of the ultimate outsider...What a startling, evocative and promising debut...A must for any teenage girl, aged 13+, who likes historical fiction, who feels uncertain of her place in the world, and who has ever been in love."

S. joseh @ www.amazon.com
"Welsh takes an oft overlooked chapter of New York history and breathes life into it by making his main character otherworldly. The sense of unrest and unease is uniquely potrayed as not just the province of those souls in limbo, but also of the very real flesh and blood cast that are living in early twentieth century New York. The intrigue, jealousies and destructive behavior are taut enough to satisfy any modern millie, (imagine early twentieth century Desperate Housewives angst) while keeping the veracity of the historical perspective...T. K. Welsh proves that you don't have to be a wizard to write a book that both parents and children will read and enjoy."

zora31 @ Powells.com
"What a great book! It's a ghost story and a love story. Mallory Meer dies in the General Slocum steamship disaster. I didn't even know there was such a thing and I live in Manhattan! Anyway, Mallory dies along with 1,000 other people and she spends the book as a ghost looking over the people involved in the disaster and making sure that justice prevails. There's a twist to the book and it's great. I liked that the author didn't use simple language. I mean he uses some really great language in here that brings you right into the story. I think it's an intriguing story that keeps you on edge and teaches you something historical too. I could relate to Mallory and many of the teenagers in the book. I guess nothing has changed in a hundred years. I think everyone would really enjoy reading this, even if you aren't a teenager."

RESURRECTION MEN

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL, February 2008
"When Tyrolean soldiers kill young Victor’s parents, he leaves his hometown of Modena on a merchant ship headed up the Mediterranean coast. A violent spat with another crewmember casts Victor overboard and clinging to a gaff in the English Channel with almost all chances of hope gone. He washes ashore, and an elderly Englishman takes in the injured boy and nurses him back to health. The man then sells him to Tipple and Biggs, two undertakers who intend to teach Victor the mortuary trade. Victor is taken to London, where he learns of Tipple’s and Biggs’s questionable practices such as digging up the recently deceased to sell their organs to doctors, or worse, murdering orphans to increase their profit with 'fresh subjects.' Part historical fiction and part adventure story, the novel brings excitement to Victorian England through an elaborate plot of body snatching, greed, and street life. This is a challenging read, but competent readers will be on the edge of their seats as they follow Victor from Italy to England as he seeks to solve mysteries and combat the rampant malevolence of the period."

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Reader Reviews -- RESURRECTION MEN

Here's what readers like you are saying about RESURRECTION MEN:

Elizabeth at www.tkwelsh.com
"Hello, your book is quiet an inspiration to me. I, as a 12 (going on 20) year old girl, love to write. Sometimes my friends think I'm crazy that I'm writing for fun. Even yet, I'm consistent of writing my book. Your book, has helped me with this process. I think it would be a great honor on my part, if you came to the Book Smith, in the Cumberland mall! Though I am not finished with the book, I am very close to the end, (and on the edge of my seat I might add). The settings and perspective of story telling between Victor's life, and the story telling within the military setting, intrigues me so. I find that it is hard to put down this book, and at times, I would absentmindedly say something out loud while reading, such as encouragement for Victor to run, or 'No... Tatters...', but of course, I know full well the characters cannot hear me. Here I am, getting off subject; me and my mother would be very honored, once again, if you came to Book Smith. I will try my best in school to 'market' the placing around, and put up some flyers in local libraries, and the book store itself. New Jersey doesn't get this much excitement, so when people hear that a writer, as sucessfull as yourself, is coming to a book store locally, I'm sure fellow book readers will jump at the chance! Also, I have yet to read your book "The Unresolved", (which is probly next on my list, after I'm free of all the papers for school I must write). I'm a Jewish teen myself, and think it would be an enriching book to read! We need more writers like you, that are tangible to the public. Thank you again. Aspiring writer, Elizabeth."

Andrea @ genrefluent.com
Teen Comments on Books Eligible for 2007 & 2008 Awards
"Resurrection Men is the first book of its kind that I've ever read. It's set in 1830 London. It's the time when doctors are discovering amazing things about diseases and the human anatomy. Unfortunately, people didn't have enough cadavers to go around. So a black market business is set up, selling bodies dug up from their graves, but that's just one way to get a hold of bodies. It's very dark, so don't read it if you don't like that kind of thing. I would like a copy of this book. Nominate? Yes!"

Ally @ www.tkwelsh.com
"Hi, I just wanted to say that i really loved your book and that you should make another book that is just as creepy and even more so spine chilling. All of my friends are waiting in line to read your book because i gave it a good recomendation. Because of your book it has inspired me to write as well. And just in time as well because i have to write a short story for Lit. Congrats again."

Jan @ www.goodreads.com
"A dark story about child enslavement and other horrors of the Victorian age...a fascinating read."

Trevor @ www.goodreads.com
"The dark, putrid, gray atmosphere of 1830s London is recreated here in vivid and sometimes brutal detail, accurately reflecting the environment of the era...Welsh has incorporated gothic, mystery, and horror genres into a historical novel that is very readable...The feel of the language of the time has been maintained without getting bogged down in exact replication...The action and pace is steady and quick, rarely pausing, and finishes in an unforgettable, movie-quality fight-to-the-death."

Ben @ www.goodreads.com
"A chilling portrait of 1830s London, when corpses were highly valued for medical research, and the streets of London were filled with homeless children. The fresher the subject, the more valuable the cadaver. Eventually, someone realized it was easier to kill the children than to dig them up after death. The book follows the troubles of Victor, from his home in Italy where he witnesses the murder of his parents as Carbonari, to the muck-filled streets of London where he's sold to a Master and forced to beg for a living. Chilling and yet beautifully written. The book haunted me long after I put it down."

Kurt A. Johnson (Top 50 Reviewer) @ Amazon
"While working on a poor street child that was run over along a road, Dr. Lambro has a story to tell. It's the story of Victor, a young Italian lad, who saw his parents murdered before his own eyes, and then was sold into virtual slavery as a ship's cabin boy. Ending up in England, Victor experiences street life in Victorian England, with all of its poverty, degeneracy, and downright murderous danger. This book is written for young adult readers, and is intended to teach them the depths of the horrors that some people experienced in Victorian England. Now, as you might expect from the above description, this is not a happy book, and is bound to be upsetting for younger or more sensitive readers. But, if you are willing to take this book for what it is, you will find it to be an interesting look into the dark, dark side of The Good Old Days. Personally, I found it to be a very interesting read, and a very educational one. I highly recommend this book."

Reluctant Boy Reader @ Amazon
"What makes this book so remarkable to me, as a mom of a son who NEVER reads, is that he LOVED this book. In fact, he couldn't put it down, and was genuinely sad when he'd finished it. It's so difficult for parents to find books for boys these days. Most young adult books are written for girls by girls. Here's a book written for boys about a subject that's gory and ghoulish...but extremely well written and historical to boot.  In an age when boys are playing graphic video games, the vividness of the language and the story kept his interest. While the story has some gruesome scenes, based on what I know of the period, it is a very realistic portrayal of what life was actually like. He also completely related to the young boy protagonist. He felt the kid's pain and suffering, and learned that when struggling against the worst possible odds, courage and strength of character will see you through. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK."

Gracie412 in Manhattan @ Amazon
"I bought a few copies of this book for my nephews who find it hard to find books that interest them. They could hardly put it down, they loved the grisly bits but surprisingly also loved the plot. I enjoy T.K. Welsh's books as an adult and my daughter loved The Unresolved but my nephews have had such a wonderful time with this book that they keep re-reading their favorite parts! My sister is ecstatic by their love of reading and is buying The Unresolved for them also. It's very hard to find books that boys will enjoy, and to find a historical fiction book that captures the senses and is well written is a godsend. I think this is a book that can be read by fathers and sons, as well as mothers and daughters. Once again, bravo to T.K. Welsh and as my nephews would say, 'Dude, this rocks!'"

THE UNRESOLVED

FLIP THE SWITCH: TEENS AWAKE, October 2007
"The Unresolved is a historical mystery about the General Slocum steamboat fire. The steamboat fire was the worst disaster in New York City until the World Trade Center attack on September 11, 2001. Sadly, this fire and shipwreck, in which over 1,000 people lost their lives, has largely been forgotten today. The cause of the fire was never determined.

"On June 14, 1904, members of St. Mark’s Lutheran Church boarded the steamboat on the way to their annual end of Sunday School class picnic. Most members of St. Mark’s were German immigrants. The story is told by the ghost of one of the trip takers, fifteen-year-old Mallory Meer. Mallory has a secret rendezvous to meet Dustin, a young Jewish boy she has a crush on and who also happens to be her father’s apprentice. Their secret meeting does not last very long, because soon after the immigrants board the ship, the fire starts. The life jackets were made of cork, and they disintegrated, allowing people to drown instead of float. The life boat bolts were rusted to the side of the boat and all water hoses burst making both items of no use to the trapped passengers.

"Mallory’s ghost chronicles the aftermath of the fire and shipwreck. She attends the coroner’s inquest, which were of great interest to the community. Historical records indicate that over 600 families lost someone in the fire and shipwreck. Mallory follows the life of the key players of the shipwreck throughout the course of the rest of their lives. The Unresolved is a great quick read for those who like historical fiction or who want to know more about this forgotten tragedy.

"The Unresolved is a nominee for the Teens Top 10...If it’s your favorite, don’t forget to place your vote during Teen Read Week, October 14-20, 2007."

Review by Marci @ Duraleigh Road Library

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THE UNRESOLVED

Bookslut, October 2007
"Initially, T.K. Welsh’s The Unresolved read like a traditional historical novel, albeit with a narrator who dies in the opening chapter. Welsh does an excellent job of detailing the tragedy of the General Slocum, a steamship that caught fire in New York’s East River in 1904 and caused the deaths of more than 1,000 people. In the weeks after the accident it was revealed that much of the rescue equipment onboard was unusable, including fire hoses, life boats and life jackets. It’s a rotted life jacket that led to the drowning death of Mallory, the book’s undead protagonist, and is the reason why she is begins haunting many other people.

"The survivors are suspicious and they and their families need to find somebody to blame. The tragedy pulled apart the New York community of Little Germany and the deaths ultimately led to its demise. Mallory moves between family members and friends, sharing their thoughts, and then eases into the lives of those who were responsible for the tragedy, forcing liars to see the truth and not letting others forget. Along the way, she observes what it means to be not only dead, but to have left behind a body that is unrecognizable:

And then it was my turn. I saw my mangled body being lowered down the frightful lip of that mass grave -- great hole for the unrecognized and unremembered. I felt my torso slide, my legs unfold beneath me. Legs wrapped about yet other limbs, despite our individual coffins. And arms and fingers, intertwined. That’s how I stumbled onto Nixie. What was left of her was propped up underneath another girl so that it was hard to tell where one began and the other finished. They had been baked together by the fire. My sister sat there, looking so nonchalant, without fear, without the slightest trepidation. I caught her eye, and I could feel her smile.

"The Unresolved scores on several levels, most notably as a drama that blows apart all preconceived notions of how history can be retold. Mallory is a very engaging protagonist, both alive and dead, but it is as she evolves as a ghost that she will truly resonate with readers. Equal parts naïve and determined, eventually she becomes a force to be reckoned with and the true face of an avenging ghostly angel."

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THE UNRESOLVED

Gemini Moon, September 2007
"Mallory Meer, a 15-year-old victim of the 'General Slocum' steamship disaster, haunts those responsible for the tragedy, determined to see that justice is served.  A good suspence book...well written. The courtroom scenes reminded me a lot of the scenes from To Kill a Mockingbird."

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THE UNRESOLVED

Church and Synagogue Library Association (CSLA), August 2007
"In 1904, a fifteen-year-old German-American girl named Mallory Meer finds herself in love with Dustin, a boy who has finally noticed her. Unfortunately, their romance comes to a fatal end when a fire breaks out on the General Slocum steamship and she dies, along with thousands of other passengers. Now her ghost seems trapped, unable to move on. How can she let go of her family or Dustin? How can she help bring those responsible for the horrific fire to justice? Is Dustin wrongfully accused of the crime because he is a Jew? Filled with intrigue, corruption, and revenge motifs, Welsh weaves a fast-paced romance with time shifts clearly delineated.

"This is Welsh’s first young adult novel, although (the author) has written seven books in the adult fiction category. Let’s hope this is just the beginning of more young adult books from this author."

Review by: Mary Lou Henneman

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RESURRECTION MEN

The YA YA YAs, "Under the Radar", August 2007
"When the Marquess of Stanton’s coach runs over a boy, his coachman and mistress insist on taking the boy to a doctor. In his determination to save the boy, Dr. Lambro minces no words and throws the marquess out of his house. Dr. Lambro’s neighbor, Colonel Maxwell, warns Lambro that he may have made an enemy out of the marquess, but the good doctor is not afraid. As he begins to operate on the boy, he tells the colonel a story about a young boy just like the one lying on his table.

"Twenty-two years earlier, in 1830, a boy named Victor watched soldiers kill his parents in Modena. Though some of the soldiers wanted to kill Victor, too, their senior officer had a better idea. Selling him would be much more profitable, and so Victor ends up a cabin boy on a ship sailing west. But when his leg is shattered, Victor is of no use on the ship and is thrown overboard. He manages to survive, washing up on the shores of England, where an elderly man rescues him, taking Victor in and saving his leg. Although Victor is forced to use a crutch to get around, it’s a pleasant life, until the old man can no longer afford to keep Victor around and sells him to a Mr. Tipple and Mr. Biggs.

"Mr. Tipple and Mr. Biggs take Victor to London. His journey is an unpleasant one, as he has been thrown into a coffin and must share the space with a corpse. Once in London, Mr. Tipple and Mr. Biggs leave Victor at the home of Master Hartley, who forces children to beg for money in exchange for living in his attic. Master Hartley also has a menagerie of animals he rents out to these children. With so many beggars in London, an animal can make the difference between earning enough money to live in Master Hartley’s attic and living in the streets. Gradually, Victor learns which animals will earn him the most money, and he also begins to earn his keep by doing errands for Hartley, including driving Mr. Tipple and Mr. Biggs around London as they steal corpses and dig up graves, for they are Resurrection Men, selling bodies to doctors eager to learn more about human anatomy.

"T.K. Welsh brings Victor’s surroundings, which range from his idyllic days on the English coast to a dirty, squalid, awe-inspiring London, to life in vivid detail. He doesn’t flinch from messy, gory descriptions, but neither does he dwell in them. Likewise, Victor is a worthy and sympathetic hero, making the most of his circumstances and determined to save his friends when it becomes apparent that someone is kidnapping and killing London’s poor children to supply doctors with corpses.

"Resurrection Men was inspired by a real 1831 trial.  A note about this in the book, along with a bibliography or short reading list, would have been nice. But this is a minor quibble. A bigger problem, in my opinion, is the flap copy, which does the book a disservice by immediately telling us that the protagonist is twelve years old. Yes, Victor is twelve, but to first describe him with his age will no doubt dissuade some older teens from giving Resurrection Men a try, which is a pity. It is more appropriate for them than it is for twelve-year-olds, and it is a book adults will appreciate, as well. As our narrator says, 'And while the average life expectancy in London was around thirty-five, when you factored in infantile deaths, twenty-seven was the average age people died, twenty-two among those in the working class. Twenty-two! By that measure, Victor was already middle-aged.'"

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RESURRECTION MEN

Necropsy -- The Review of Horror Fiction, Summer 2007
"A Corpse Is a Corpse, Of Course" -- June Pulliam

"Although T. K. Welsh’s Resurrection Men is published by an imprint that markets books to children and young adults, I am reviewing it here in Necropsy nevertheless. It is something that can be enjoyed by a much wider audience, which is the case with a good deal of young adult fiction of the past twenty years.

"Welsh’s novel is a complex frame tale very loosely based upon the infamous exploits of those most infamous of resurrection men, Burke and Hare...Welsh creates a similar situation in 1831 London. His protagonist, Victor, an Italian lad orphaned at twelve, finds his way to the British Isles by way of being sold to a ship’s captain to be his cabin boy. When Victor breaks his leg at sea while climbing the rigging, the captain declares the child is no longer of any use to anyone and has him thrown overboard. Miraculously Victor survives, and is rescued by a beach comber with enough raw medical skills to set his badly broken limb. But because the man is barely able to feed himself, let alone support Victor, he eventually sells the youth as an apprentice to a man similar to Charles Dickens’ Artful Dodger. This new master trains Victor to be a professional cadger who gives a percentage of the daily alms he begs in the streets to his master in return for his lodging. In this position, Victor has the opportunity to see how the poor of the city are treated and expand his already bountiful store of sympathy for his fellow humans. Victor also learns quickly that begging is not an unskilled job, but a high art, where the most successful of his lot either have an attraction such as a rented taxidermied animal to pose with or are particularly adept at evoking pathos in their marks so that they part with their coins. Some among his fellow cadgers are also able to augment their meager incomes through prostitution.

"Since Victor’s leg healed crookedly, he is still crippled, and is sometimes able to use this disability to his advantage when he begs. It is in this capacity that he comes to the attention of Dr. Quigley, a well-to-do London physician who takes an interest in Victor and re-breaks and re-sets his leg for him free of charge so that he will be able to walk once again without impediment. During Victor’s convalescence, Quigley soon discovers that the lad has a quick mind and instinct for healing in his own right, and puts the idea in Victor’s head that he could become his apprentice and eventually be a physician himself.

"But then Victor discovers how people like Quigley get the bodies they use in their work. As with most tales of resurrection men, there is some tension between the sometimes unsavory deeds that must be performed in the name of the advancement of knowledge vs. the dignity due the dead. But since this tale is being told in the 21st century rather than the 19th, readers have long since given up being disgusted by the idea that human bodies are dissected in the name of medical science, and so the writer must use a new technique to awaken our revulsion at the practice. Robert Wise’s 1945 film The Body Snatcher, as well as Sheri Holman’s 2000 novel The Dress Lodger, use the device of the anatomy student (or teacher) being forced through convoluted circumstances to dissect the body of someone they knew well, thus rejuvenating our primordial sense of outrage about the fate of the dead. And both The Body Snatcher (Wise’s film and the 1884 Robert Louis Stevenson short story of the same name on which it is based) and Resurrection Men venture into Burke and Hare territory to enflame our sense of moral outrage.

"When Victor confronts the man ultimately responsible for creating a market for the immorally procured cadavers, he responds that his actions are justified in order to further medical science, and that the unfortunate “Burked” individuals were nothing more than cadgers. Without giving away too much, as this is fiction, the good end happily while the bad end badly...Resurrection Men is a well-written story, and Welsh (and perhaps the author’s publisher too) demonstrates faith in the target audience’s intelligence, as there is no deus ex machina to explain the term “resurrection man,” and words like “cadger,” that are generally not used in the United States, are not Americanized the way some words were changed in earlier editions of J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter’s novels. The writer instead has enough faith that the reader will understand these things or even take the radical step of consulting a dictionary when in doubt."

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RESURRECTION MEN

It's All About the Book, July 2007
"T.K. Welsh's last book, The Unresolved, was one of my favorites of 2006, and Resurrection Men doesn’t disappoint. In the 1830’s, an Italian boy witnesses his parents being murdered, and is then sold as a cabin boy on a ship. A bad fall from the rigging means he’s no longer useful so he’s thrown overboard. Miraculously, he makes it to shore and is found by an old man who nurses him back to health, only to sell him to a couple of “resurrection men” whose job is to procure corpses for doctors to autopsy. He makes his way to London, where he plunges into the worst of the underbelly of society — beggars, prostitutes, thieves and murderers. After many trials and tribulations, the boy’s decency and courage help him rise above the life he’s been forced to live.

"Of course, the inevitable comparison to Dickens’ Oliver Twist comes to mind, but Resurrection Men is far more than that. Welsh makes the horrific living conditions, especially those for children, come alive here. Welsh doesn’t rely on innuendo, but lays it all out, from the dens of beggar children to the trade in child prostitution, so the reader comes to know that living in London in the 1830’s was anything but idyllic. Reading this, I was reminded of a book I read years ago called The Anti-Society by Kellow Chesney which described the lives of the poor during the reign of Queen Victoria. Most history books recount the glorious reign of the Queen and ignore the harsh reality lived by her poorest subjects. Welsh succeeds in bringing that reality to vivid life."

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THE UNRESOLVED

Scholar's Blog, June 2007
"T K Welsh's The Unresolved is based on a true story. In 1904 a fire on board the steamboat General Slocum killed more than 1000 people, mostly woman and children, most of whom were German immigrants, on New York's East River. Many people suffered as a result of this tragic event and Welsh has written a hauntingly compelling novel that looks at who was to blame for this tragedy. The focus of the story is 15 year old Mallory Meer who shared her first kiss with the boy she loved, Dustin Brauer, the son of a Jewish beer brewer; he's accused of starting the fire, and he and his father are both persecuted by the Lutheran German community of Kleindeutschland. Mallory's spirit haunts the community, moving through time and space, influencing people, until justice is done and the person who really started the fire is discovered.

"I don't want to say too much more about this book because that would spoil it, I feel. Just find a copy, if you can, and read it; it's well written and very moving."

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RESURRECTION MEN

The Miss Rumphius Effect, June 2007
"I also finished Resurrection Men this afternoon. T.K. Welsh, where have you been? I loved this book! As a fan of Sherlock Holmes novels and most pieces of historical fiction set in the Victorian era, I was right at home in this work. The fact that I had recently finished Anne Roiphe's An Imperfect Lens about the cholera epidemic of 1883 in Alexandria just put me in the mood for the grisly details of Welsh's story. Victor is a worthy protagonist, and one that is not easily forgotten once the book is finished. Suffering a cruel early life, Victor witnesses the murder of his parents, is sold to a merchant, and is abused at sea and finally thrown overboard. Once he washes ashore in England, he is taken in by an elderly man who helps him recover, only to sell him to a pair of grave robbers (the "Resurrection men") who steal corpses for use in research and dissection. This is a wonderfully ghoulish story that captures the darkness of London in the mid-1800's. Pick it up and you'll find it hard to put down. Once you reach the end, you have the option of logging on to the hidden section of T.K. Welsh's web site for some added fun."

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RESURRECTION MEN

BIG A, little a, June 2007
"T.K. Welsh is fast becoming one of my favorite writers. His work transcends genre and audience classification,* and his style is provocatively old fashioned for the early 21st century. Welsh's first novel, The Unresolved, employed a ghost narrator in the telling of a tragic historical event and was one of my favorite novels of 2006. Welsh's sophomore novel, Resurrection Men, is straight-up historical fiction with a focus on class and the gritty streets of 19th-century London that would make Dickens proud.

"Resurrection Men begins in Surrey in 1852 when a repellent Marquess of Stanton runs over a small boy in his carriage. The Marquess wants to leave the severely injured boy by the side of the road because "the boy is obviously a vagabond" and "shouldn't have been gamboling out there on the road." But, his lady friend insists and the boy is delivered to a Dr. Lambro. While Dr. Lambro operates on the boy (who has broken ribs and a collapsed lung), he tells a story to his neighbor Colonel Maxwell about another little boy born 25 years earlier in Italy. This boy, Victor, is the hero of Resurrection Men.

"Victor begins his life in Italy and watches the assassination of his parents as Carbonari. He's sold as a Cabin boy and, after a hellish voyage or two, washes up on the shores of England with a leg shattered into bits. A kindly old man takes care of him, helps him to heal, and teaches him to fight. When times get tough, however, the old man sells the boy to a "Master," a man who uses children to beg on the streets, pocketing a share of their earnings. Victor travels to London and the Master with a pair of Resurrection Men--men who steal corpses for autopsies and scientific research.

"Victor makes friends amongst the other children, particularly with a young boy named Nico, who is also from Italy, and with a blind girl named Rebecca. Each day the children take an animal with them in an attempt to gain sympathy and attention amongst the crowds of London. Welsh's London is place of nightmares and dreams, of fog and pollution, of rich and poor. Victor watches as his friends are used and abused (Rebecca most of all) and vows to protect them in the streets and in the home of the Master.

"One day, a wealthy, kindly doctor approaches Victor and Rebecca on the streets and offers to fix Victor's mangled leg. After the operation, Victor stays with the doctor and begins helping in his practice. On one occasion, he attends a private autopsy and discovers that it's his friend Nico on the table. He discovers the Resurrection Men who took him to London are responsible for Nico's death and plan on providing more corpses culled from the Master's children.

"Resurrection Men is a moody, evocative tale in which more than bodies are resurrected--the souls of the primary characters are at stake as well. Welsh brings 19th-century London to life in all its horrors and brilliance and Victor is a hero worthy of the reader's attention. Pair this one with a classic in a high school classroom, or share it with an intelligent teen reader today.

=====================

* "I have to admit I'm not entirely sure what makes Resurrection Men and The Unresolved Young Adult fiction outside the age of their narrators. These are books any adult would enjoy and, more importantly, think about long after reading."

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RESURRECTION MEN

The Thrushmetal Review, May 2007
"While attending to the immediate medical needs of a young street urchin trampled by a nobleman’s carriage, Dr. Lambro tells the tale about a similar boy he once knew, named Victor. Victor, formerly of Modena, a London transplant, was cruelly orphaned and eventually sold into servitude as a street beggar. The dark, putrid, gray atmosphere of 1830s London is recreated here in vivid and sometimes brutal detail, accurately reflecting the environment of the era. While begging for his food and lodging, he befriends other children in the Master’s keep: Nico, a fellow Italian, and Rebecca, a blind girl with a wisdom and understanding of the world beyond her few years. Along with the Master and the juvenile beggars are a duo, Tipple and Biggs. These are the Resurrection Men of the title: body snatchers who procure corpses for resale to the medical community, which happens to be experiencing a renaissance of sorts. The burgeoning field of medicine requires cadavers — the fresher the better — for surgeons to dissect and unlock the secrets contained within. The duo attempts to lure Victor into the macabre arts of grave robbing using salvation from the streets as the lure.

"Welsh has incorporated gothic, mystery, and horror genres into a historical novel that is very readable. I made the mistake of attempting to eat macaroni salad while reading the vivid description of the Smithfield district, complete with the putrifacted animal carcasses, rotting fat, skins strewn about, blood spraying, walking ankle deep in gore, and all other manner of butchery by-products. The feel of the language of the time has been maintained without getting bogged down in exact replication — the cockney of Tipple and Biggs is explained by Victor — fact is the language is as foreign to him, being Italian, as it is to some of us reading the book as modern English speakers. The action and pace is steady and quick, rarely pausing, and finishes in an unforgettable, movie-quality fight-to-the-death.

"When readers finish, the experience doesn’t end with the last page. Instead, there is a code, which unlocks bonus content on the author’s website: www.tkwelsh.com."

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RESURRECTION MEN

KLIATT, Free Online Library, April 2007
"After his parents are killed right in front of him, 12-year-old Victor, from Modena, Italy, is sold as a cabin boy. His leg is shattered in a terrible fall on a ship and he is flung overboard, washing up on the shores of England. But all the danger and hurt Victor has experienced so far is nothing compared to the calculated cruelty he encounters as a crippled beggar in the mean, filthy streets of London in 1830, where bodysnatchers ("resurrection men") supply physicians eager to study human anatomy with not only fresh corpses but also live children for their experiments. Victor must risk his life to uncover the identity of a particularly evil doctor and save the girl he loves.

"Based on the body-snatcher trials of the 1830s, this dark, atmospheric thriller by the author of the YA novel The Unresolved is an absorbing if often gruesome read. There are gory details of our hero cramming into an already occupied coffin and what takes place in a slaughterhouse and at a dissection, which will either thrill or appall readers. Like M.T. Anderson's The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, this look at sinister events in history makes the era come alive and lingers in the memory."

S -- Recommended for senior high school students.

Paula Rohrlick, KLIATT

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THE UNRESOLVED

ALAN Review, April 2007 (Winter Edition)
"In an interesting twist for historical fiction, T.K. Welsh's first young adult novel, The Unresolved, develops a tale of romance told from the point of view of a ghost, a victim of the true-life burning and sinking of the steamship the General Slocum in New York City's East River in June 1904.

"In the novel, the steamship fire is started after our protagonist, 15-year-old Mallory, receives her first kiss from a young man. He attempts to save her, but the ship's lifejackets are rotten (a historically accurate detail), and she drowns after he pushes her into the water. He survives, only to be blamed for causing the fire, and our now ghostly narrator cannot rest until justice is done.

"No doubt many adolescents will enjoy this blend of romance and the supernatural set against the backdrop of an American tragedy that is often overlooked."

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RESURRECTION MEN

Publishers Weekly, April 2007
"Welsh's (The Unresolved) latest historical novel takes readers on a haunting tour of London's underclass during the 1830s. Victor is a 12-year-old Italian boy whose cheerful life in Modena is dramatically altered when his parents, suspected revolutionaries, are murdered before his eyes by Austrian soldiers. Victor is sold to a merchant who uses him as a cabin boy; he adjusts to the brutal life on board the ship, but his ill luck is unrelenting: while escaping a crew member who attempts to molest him, Victor breaks his leg and is tossed overboard. He washes ashore in England, and is taken in by an elderly man who helps him learn English and recover from his injury. But the man eventually sells Victor to a pair of grave robbers, the eponymous "Resurrection men" who steal corpses for doctors' use in research and dissection. The men bring Victor to London, where he joins a guild of beggars and befriends some fellow outcasts. His luck finally begins to change when a wealthy physician makes him his apprentice, but Victor discovers evil practices within that profession as well. Welsh's visceral descriptions of industrial London are unflinching: in the city's meat market, 'Many sheep were skinned while alive. And horses were frequently stabled in the putrefying remains of their fellows, maimed and starving, awaiting their own executions. Somehow they knew. Victor could see it in their pitiful eyes.' Teens will likely be both captivated by Victor's harrowing story as well as his ability to prevail in the face of harsh injustices."

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RESURRECTION MEN

VOYA, April 2007
"Medical scholars in 1830 London are desperate for dead bodies to use in the study of human anatomy. Body snatchers, or 'resurrection men' steal corpses from fresh graves, or even pose as dying poor in order to claim their bodies and sel1 them to researchers. Twelve-year Victor, an Italian orphan who has barely survived a ruthless sea journey, is purchased by resurrection men Biggs and Tipple to use as a driver for their carriage. They place him in a rundown house filled with beggar children. Victor’s fortune changes when a kind physician, Dr. Thomas Quigley, takes an interest in him. He moves in with Dr. Quigley and becomes his apprentice. But Victor is unable to forget Rebecca and Nico, his only two friends from his former residence. While attending a human dissection demonstrated by the renowned Dr. Crumm, Victor realizes that the subject on the table is Nico. Shocked and sickened, he is determined to find justice for his friend. In the process, he discovers that Dr. Crumm has been infecting kidnapped street children in order to study the disease.

"Welsh paints a harsh, bleak portrait of life in London during this period, with a special emphasis on the exploitation of the hordes of homeless children who roamed the streets. His plot and writing style are reminiscent of Oliver Twist by Dickens but far more graphic. Teen readers will thoroughly enjoy the hair-raising suspense in this historical thriller."

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RESURRECTION MEN

Kirkus Reviews, March, 2007
"Set in London in 1830 where the selling of human corpses to those in science has become a lucrative business, twelve-year-old Victor is aware that his body would fetch a good price and so must watch out for those who mean to do him harm while working to put a stop to their evil ways.

"(For) audiences that relish historical fiction...Welsh pits an orphaned beggar lad with a shattered leg and some martial-arts training against a pair of genial body snatchers in the employ of a prominent doctor who likes to molest girls and infect kidnapped children with cholera in the name of scientific discovery....(A) lurid stomach-churner... strewn with corpses and gruesome relics."

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RESURRECTION MEN

Jen Robinson's Book Page, February 2007
"Resurrection Men, by T. K. Welsh, is a mystery set in London in the 1830s, at a time when body-snatchers sold corpses to doctors eager to learn. Victor is a plucky young Italian boy who endures a series of horrific events. His parents are killed in front of him, and he's forced into life as a cabin boy. When an accident damages his leg, crippling him, he's thrown callously overboard, no longer of use. Rescued, and then sold again, he ends up a professional beggar in London. Only his friends, Rebecca and Nico, keep Victor going. At least until a wealthy gentleman takes an interest in him.

"T. K. Welsh doesn't shrink from depicting the horrors and dangers faced by beggar children in the city: police and criminals and filth and beatings, to name a few. But these ordinary perils pale in comparison to the challenge faced by Victor and his friends in Resurrection Men. Victor, Nico, and Rebecca each have their own strengths, and Victor in particular comes across as a boy who anyone would be proud to know.

"I found this story gripping and fast-paced, filled with intriguing historical details. Several of the characters, as well as the general atmosphere of the book, feel menacing. You can practically smell the smells, and feel the hair rising on the back of your neck, as you read this book. The ending is utterly satisfying and consistent.  Highly recommended for fans of historical fiction."

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THE UNRESOLVED

Jen Robinson's Book Page, February 2007
"The Unresolved is a deceptively slim book about an actual historical tragedy. In 1904 fire on the steamboat General Slocum killed more than 1000 people, mostly woman and children, mostly German immigrants, on New York's East River. Many people suffered, and many people were to blame. According to Wikipedia, this was New York City's worst loss-of-life disaster until September 11th, 2001.

"In this novel by T. K. Welsh, the spirit of one of the dead, Mallory Meer, is unable to rest until she uncovers the reasons for the disaster. Mallory, as a spirit, isn't very strongly anchored in time, and her thoughts and experiences drift backwards and forwards in a somewhat stream-of-consciousness manner. For example (from page 2):

My name is Mallory Meer. I'd turned fifteen the week before, and in an hour -- thanks to the only boy I've ever loved -- I would be dead.

I float around the white memorial in Middle Village, Queens, among the other insubstantial figures. We are the unidentified remembered -- the unknown, unforgotten victims of the General Slocum who continue, unresolved, like Tantalus, to grasp at something slightly out of reach.

"Mallory travels through time and space, haunting the survivors and those culpable in the disaster, though most don't know that she's there. She learns things about their backgrounds, and their actions, and gradually pieces together the chain of events that led to so many unnecessary deaths. But it's a difficult non-life for Mallory, visiting with person after person, reliving traumatic events over and over again, and trying to communicate with the living.

"This book is a haunting chronicle of the ways things can go wrong, one decision at a time, and the way people hide from the truth, and lie to protect themselves. There are also interesting tidbits about immigrant life in New York, and the way that breweries work. Although the writing style takes getting used to, I found the story riveting, and read it in a single sitting. I recommend it for fans of historical fiction, especially mysteries, and fans of ghost stories."

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RESURRECTION MEN

TeensReadToo, January 2007
"1830, Modena, Italy. 12-year-old Victor returned to his home and had to watch with horror the cruel murder of his parents by three Tyrolean soldiers. The reason? They were Carboniaris, a group of revolutionaries that fought to keep Italy united.

"After the massacre, the soldiers sold Victor as a cabin boy to the Chief Mate of the Ceres, a ship that was about to set sail. The ship departed from Italy, and sailed along the Mediterranean coast through the Strait of Gibraltar. It sailed past the coasts of Portugal, northern Spain, and France.

"One day, in the middle of a big storm, Victor climbed up the mainmast, all the way to the topgallant, trying to escape from a crew member whom he had accused of stealing food. But as the seaman drew closer, Victor lost his footing, fell on the deck, and crushed his leg completely. The Chief Mate didn’t think twice: “A cabin boy who cannot walk is of no value to this ship…. Throw him overboard.” Which he did.

"Clinging to a gaff, Victor drifted in the middle of the sea for several days, until he arrived at the coast of England. He was rescued by an old man and his dog. The old man treated his leg, fed him, and taught him how to speak English and fight with his crutch. After a few months, the old man couldn’t afford to keep Victor any more and, once again, Victor was sold. This time to Tipple and Biggs, two unscrupulous men who took Victor to London, by hiding him in a coffin with a decaying body.

"In London, Victor lived in a house full of children and animals. He was forced to beg in the streets during the day. Life in London at that time was difficult: jobs were scarce, health conditions were deplorable, the streets were full of excrement and mud; people were dying of cholera. Victor soon discovered that there was a black market for dead bodies and body parts. Doctors wanted to study the human body and were willing to pay high amounts of money for them. People like Tripple and Biggs met the demand, and were willing to do anything for a few guineas, including digging up corpses, kidnapping, selling, or even killing someone. Victor found out that Tripple and Biggs were after some of his friends, and he decided that he had to reveal the mastermind of this wicked market and put an end to it.

"RESURRECTION MEN is an intense, dark work of historical fiction that made me read every page intently to the end, while trying to cope with the knot of sadness and anguish that I had in my stomach. T. K. Welsh’s rich vocabulary and detailed descriptions, where almost no noun goes without an adjective, transported me to the streets of London, and made me smell the putrid odors of the city, live the horrors of the children’s lives, witness the horrid dissections of the dead bodies, and hear the unsettling noise of the broken bones. When I finished the novel, I was looking forward to reading the section at the end of the book that explained which historical facts of the book were real, but unfortunately, there was none.

"I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes historical fiction and is interested in learning more about an unfortunate time in the history of medicine and the city of London."

13-year-old Christian C. from New York

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THE UNRESOLVED

Sydney Taylor Book Award Committee (Association of Jewish Libraries), January 2007
"Before the tragic events of 9/11, the greatest disaster in New York history was the fire aboard the General Slocum steamship in 1904, killing more than a thousand people on a church outing. Welsh's fictionalized account is narrated by the ghost of one of the victims, fifteen-year-old Mallory Meer. Her boyfriend Dustin Brauer, the Jewish son of a beer brewer, is accused of starting the fire, and he and his father are persecuted by the Lutheran German community of Kleindeutschland. Mallory's spirit and soul will not rest until justice is achieved. As the story of Dustin's alleged involvement in the fire spreads, the anti-Semitic and bigoted views of his neighbors are exposed. A unique and spooky departure from the typical historical novel, The Unresolved, while disturbing and haunting, is also compelling and captivating."

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THE UNRESOLVED

Flamingnet, January 2007
"Mallory's story begins on the day she dies. Soon aft