In 1968, in a remote part of Canada, a mysterious 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 neighbour. Together the adults make a difficult decision: to go through surgery and raise the child as a boy named Wayne. But as Wayne grows up within the hyper-male hunting culture of his father, 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 that have guarded his secret.
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An uplifting exploration of love, parenthood, and all that we become - Daily Mail
Kathleen Winter's remarkable first novel' 'such is the lyricism of Winters writing that these and other extreme conditions become poetic rather than pathological' 'deeply moving' 'Annabel is about far more than one individuals gender confusion. It demonstrates the need for us all to acknowledge our mixture of male and female characteristics, to be true to the rich complexity of our personalities and to respect the uniqueness of other people - The Times
Powerful and important debut...Annabel could be seen as a polemic because of the seriousness of the issues. But Winter is as subtle as she is candid and the occasional flashes of irony are gentle...It is too simple to say that Winter has written a story about a hermaphrodite. This is a human and humane book about living and the instinct to survive and to protect. It is also about friendship, parental love and its limitations...her brave, intelligent novel is about a journey to truth - Irish Times
This haunting, powerful story is about much more than the problems of being a hermaphrodite...This is a remarkable first novel, an accomplished debut by an exciting new voice with a confident, mature style. - Daily Express
Kathleen Winter has the steadfast clarity and quietly assured talent to make this difficult subject her own...The descriptive prose is melodically poetic, marrying spare lucidity and sage observation...She is equally adept at using her idiosyncratic eye to create charming images...Winter has a strikingly mellifluous voice, and she has created a potent story exploring gender categorization and humanity - Independent
This [is a] finely executed debut novel...Winter is excellent, too, on creating a convincing interior for her characters without sensationalising Wayne's sexuality, and there is a commendable lack of voyeurism in her exploration of his identity...As an examination of a relationship between a child and his parents, this is a moving tale, told with precision and care. As a debut, it is almost faultless. - Glasgow Herald
Winter clearly loves all her characters, even the hopelessly misguided men, and she lavishes compassion and metaphor on them. - Scotsman
It's loneliness, not gender, that lies at the heart of Winter's novel - a confident, serious debut - Guardian
This is an astute examination of ordinary people confronting extraordinary dilemmas - Mail on Sunday
It is the powerful sense of place that is the most successful element - Times Literary Supplement
Beautifully paced, sometimes shocking and never prurient - Intelligent Life
A powerful story...compelling and sensitively written - Stylist
A heartbreaking tale ...Winter's novel elegantly allows for the awkward ambiguities of the situation - Marie Claire
Annabel is a beautiful book, brimming with heart and uncommon wisdom. Life is ambiguity and flux and mystery, and Kathleen Winter has written a gorgeous, searing love-letter to the possibilities that lie just below the surface of the everyday. -
The perfect childs' voice... I read Annabel in two days thus breaking all my rules about taking time with my reading and having 'thinking rests', and I can't tell you how much this book has filled my thoughts since... just occasionally I think I have to beg and grovel and say 'pleeeeeeeeeeeease don't miss Annabel' . It will be in my top reads of 2011 no matter how many good books follow...I am very much hoping to see this on tomorrow's Orange Prize short list - Dovegreyreader
A mesmerising combination of crisp language, deep empathy for her well-wrought characters, and a world-savvy wisdom. Annabel is an unforgettable novel - The Telegram
The writing was very crisp and precise, with many beautiful descriptions - Farm Lane Books Blog
Kathleen Winter isn't afraid to tackle a tough subject head on. Annabel is an extraordinary novel - Daily Express
Winter writes beautifully, and the sensational side of the story is handled elegantly - Saga Magazine
Funny and tender, charming and moving...a genuine pleasure to read - The Lady
About the Author
Kathleen Winter has written dramatic and documentary scripts for Sesame Street and CBC Television. Her first collection of short stories, boYs, was the winner of both the Winterset Award and the Metcalf-Rooke Award. A long-time resident of St. John's, Newfoundland, she now lives in Montreal.
