Annan Water

by Kate Thompson
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Against a fascinating background of horse dealing and competitive riding, Kate Thompson` explores the dilemma of teenager Michael Duggan experiencing his first love affair and a strong but bewildering need for independence.

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Synopsis

Michael first sees Annie one morning on the banks of Annan Water, when he is out exercising two horses from his parents` stables. That first impression of her never leaves him. She triggers in him a desire to get to know and understand her and in doing so, to understand himself . Complicated by the fact that he is haunted by the tune and words of a song about the Annan Water, he finds there is no easy answer to the way he must go: to get to know Annie seems as impossible as interpreting the words of the song. Michael`s parents make endless demands on Michael`s skill as a rider and his innate sympathy for horses. (They had become a dealer`s yard, not a family'). Coupled with this he finds himself totally at odds with his companions and teachers at school. With its fascinating background of horse dealing, Kate Thompson enlarges the range of settings of her novels. But at its core lies a theme about which she feels deeply and of which she has repeatedly proved herself a master - she explores the need for the young person on the brink of adulthood to find independence and meaning in life. A gripping story unresolved until the very last page.

Editorial Reviews

"Darkly mysterious and deeply compelling love story from a master storyteller. Highly recommended." - Inis

"'The style and structure, though spare and taut, still manages to allow room for interweaving fictions which, at times, are heartbreaking in their poignancy.'" - Irish Times

"Kate Thompson is always worth reading, and her Annan Water (Bodley Head, £10.99) is yet another intriguingly different story. . . . a beautiful, self-harming new girl neighbour provides relief, however troubled, with the two teenagers almost but not quite re-enacting the tragic ballad upon which this well-written and deeply romantic story is based." - The Independent

"Kate Thompson writes beautifully." - The School Librarian

"Article about winning the Bisto Prize" - Publishing News

"Photo of Kate as winner of the Bisto Award" - Irish Post

"Article about winning the Bisto Award: 'A gripping read for mid to late teens.'" - Evening Echo (Cork)

"Photo and article about winning Bisto Book of the Year Award" - Checkout Ireland

"Teenage dilemmas set against a background of horse-dealing and competitive riding." - Irish Examiner

"A book with a difference and worth a read" - Wicklow People

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