An elegantly written work that seamlessly draws connections between water, cities, landscape, and historical memory throughout Thailand. The Chao Phraya River is a maternal being at the heart of the metropolis of Bangkok. Before the invention of Thailand, the river shaped life in Siam. Even today, although many canals have become roads, the river is a vital aspect of urban infrastructure. This account examines the complexities of memory along the waterways, where towers of concrete rise over a realm of boats and hovels, merchants and war captives, temples, and ghosts. Written at a time of...