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SensualPoet · 03-12-2011, 01:53 PM

Annabel by Kathleen Winter
Publisher: House of Anansi, Jun 2010; US: Black Cat (Grove Press/Atlantic), Jan 2011
Shortlist Finalist: Governor General Literary Award 2010, Scotiabank Giller Prize 2010, Rogers Writers Trust Award 2010

When a child is born at the remote hamlet of Croydon Harbour, Labrador in 1968, his parents Jacinta (born and raised in St. John's, Newfoundland) and Treadway Blake, a native of Labrador, and a deep woods trapper as was his father and his father before him, are faced with an unusual problem: the child is born with both female and male sex organs -- a true hermaphrodite. With surgery and hormone treatments, the child is raised as Wayne but the secrets of his origins are kept from him; only Thomasina Montague, a neighbour whose husand and eleven year old daughter drowned around the time of Wayne's birth, knows the truth of Wayne's origin. Thomasina calls Wayne "Annabel" when they are alone, the name of her drowned daughter; Wayne hears "Amble".

Annabel, in often exhilarating prose, tells the story of Wayne's growing up, and his discovery of his origins as he copes with both his male and female selves. But it's also the story of his parents over these years; as well as Thomasina who studies to become a teacher and travels Europe sending postcards to Wayne; and a childhood friend, Wally Michelin, a young girl with a passion for music. A first time novelist, Winter teases out the inner emotions of the characters, and their change over time, without judgment but with obvious love. It's hard not to care for every character fleshed out here, and empathise with their flaws as well as celebrate their triumphs over the raw land, relationships changing over time, regrets and attempts to make amends.

Multi-layered, it's a book about Labrador, about coming of age, about ethical choices and their ramfications but most of all it is about spirit, expressed poetically, page after page, as she invokes the land and the inner lives of the central characters. Highly recommended.

The Canadian cover is far more atmospheric than than the US one which is more dramatic but "in your face" as well.

A review appeared in The Globe and Mail, The National Post, with some further background in an interview with the CBC.

Available from Kobo and Nook for under $10; an ePub in the Overdrive library system; also available in paper editions.

03-12-2011, 01:53 PM	#16
SensualPoet Wizard Posts: 2,302 Karma: 2607151 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Toronto Device: Kobo Aura HD, Kindle Paperwhite, Asus ZenPad 3, Kobo Glo	Annabel - Kathleen Winter Annabel by Kathleen Winter Publisher: House of Anansi, Jun 2010; US: Black Cat (Grove Press/Atlantic), Jan 2011 Shortlist Finalist: Governor General Literary Award 2010, Scotiabank Giller Prize 2010, Rogers Writers Trust Award 2010 When a child is born at the remote hamlet of Croydon Harbour, Labrador in 1968, his parents Jacinta (born and raised in St. John's, Newfoundland) and Treadway Blake, a native of Labrador, and a deep woods trapper as was his father and his father before him, are faced with an unusual problem: the child is born with both female and male sex organs -- a true hermaphrodite. With surgery and hormone treatments, the child is raised as Wayne but the secrets of his origins are kept from him; only Thomasina Montague, a neighbour whose husand and eleven year old daughter drowned around the time of Wayne's birth, knows the truth of Wayne's origin. Thomasina calls Wayne "Annabel" when they are alone, the name of her drowned daughter; Wayne hears "Amble". Annabel, in often exhilarating prose, tells the story of Wayne's growing up, and his discovery of his origins as he copes with both his male and female selves. But it's also the story of his parents over these years; as well as Thomasina who studies to become a teacher and travels Europe sending postcards to Wayne; and a childhood friend, Wally Michelin, a young girl with a passion for music. A first time novelist, Winter teases out the inner emotions of the characters, and their change over time, without judgment but with obvious love. It's hard not to care for every character fleshed out here, and empathise with their flaws as well as celebrate their triumphs over the raw land, relationships changing over time, regrets and attempts to make amends. Multi-layered, it's a book about Labrador, about coming of age, about ethical choices and their ramfications but most of all it is about spirit, expressed poetically, page after page, as she invokes the land and the inner lives of the central characters. Highly recommended. The Canadian cover is far more atmospheric than than the US one which is more dramatic but "in your face" as well. A review appeared in The Globe and Mail, The National Post, with some further background in an interview with the CBC. Available from Kobo and Nook for under $10; an ePub in the Overdrive library system; also available in paper editions.