Annabel: A Novel
Jan 2011 · Grove/Atlantic, Inc.
4.0star
3 reviews
Ebook
480
Pages
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About this ebook
An “absorbing . . . beautifully written” debut about the trials of growing up unique in a restrictive environment (The New York Times Book Review).
In 1968, in a remote part of Canada, a child is born—a baby who appears to be neither fully boy nor girl, but both at once. Only three people share the secret: the baby’s parents and a trusted neighbor. Together, the adults make the difficult choice of deciding the gender for themselves, and raise the child as a boy named Wayne.
But as Wayne grows up, his shadow-self, a girl he thinks of as “Annabel,” is never entirely extinguished, and indeed is secretly nurtured by the women in his life. As Wayne approaches adulthood, and its emotional and physical demands, the woman inside him begins to cry out. The changes that follow are momentous not just for him, but for the three adults who have guarded his secret.
Shortlisted for the Orange Prize in Fiction, this “enchanting” literary gem explores the courage to unveil one’s true self in a culture that shuns contradiction (The New Yorker).
In 1968, in a remote part of Canada, a child is born—a baby who appears to be neither fully boy nor girl, but both at once. Only three people share the secret: the baby’s parents and a trusted neighbor. Together, the adults make the difficult choice of deciding the gender for themselves, and raise the child as a boy named Wayne.
But as Wayne grows up, his shadow-self, a girl he thinks of as “Annabel,” is never entirely extinguished, and indeed is secretly nurtured by the women in his life. As Wayne approaches adulthood, and its emotional and physical demands, the woman inside him begins to cry out. The changes that follow are momentous not just for him, but for the three adults who have guarded his secret.
Shortlisted for the Orange Prize in Fiction, this “enchanting” literary gem explores the courage to unveil one’s true self in a culture that shuns contradiction (The New Yorker).
Ratings and reviews
4.0
3 reviews
weshatter
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June 11, 2015
Genuine and Insightful. Open ended to inspire thought, not controversy. Appreciated the parallels and enjoyed the extended metaphor. Please know a person such as Wayne is properly described as intersex, not "hermaphrodite."
About the author
Kathleen Winter's first collection of short stories, boYs, was the winner of both the Winterset Award and the Metcalf-Rooke Award. In 2011 she published her first full-length novel, Annabel, which has been sold in 15 countries and received major international recognition, including nominations for The Orange Prize, The Scotiabank Giller Prize, The Governor General’s Literary Award, and the Writer’s Trust Prize. In 2014 she created an inspirational travel memoir, Boundless, which was nominated for the RBC Taylor Prize, the Hilary Westin Prize for Nonfiction, and the Mavis Gallant Prize. In the same year, she published her second collection of stories, The Freedom in American Songs, which was chosen as a Globe & Mail Top 100 Book of the year. A long-time resident of St. John's, Newfoundland, she now lives in Montreal.
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