Friday, February 3, 2012

Annabel by Kathleen Winter


Book Blog: Annabel by Kathleen Winter
Last month, it seemed like I was hearing about Kathleen Winter’s Annabel over and over. First of all, the book club discussed it. Then, when deciding what to put on the Staff Picks shelf, Helen mentioned that she absolutely loved it. As I looked into the book, I figured it would be the kind of book that I would enjoy.

Annabel explores the concept of a hermaphrodite child born in Eastern Canada. The child is forced into embracing his male identity, and goes by the name of Wayne, but as he ages more feminine tendencies become evident within him. Despite his father’s attempts to masculinize Wayne, over time, he begins to sense there is something present within him that causes him to be different than the other boys he encounters. Eventually, he begins to really question – is he Wayne, or is he Annabel, the female who he senses lives within him?

This book is truly amazing, as evident through the many awards it has won, including Amazon.ca Best Book of the Year 2010 and New York Times Editors Choice in 2011. I will definitely be recommending this book to patrons in the future.

3 comments:

  1. I was intrigued by the subject, the tensions and the setting. The author has created a highly intriguing novel that I did not want to put down and was disappointed when I finished it. All of the major characters are intriguing in their own right .

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  2. The reason I loved this novel so much is that Wayne is an innocent and interesting child, full of curiosity about the world around him. Any reader will know that he will lose this innocence eventually, but it is truly a devastating moment when he does. I found this book to be incredibly moving and beautiful, with dynamic characters and a lovely moment of redemption at the end.

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  3. If you love lyrical, tender depictions of deeply complex and human characters, and if you've ever wondered about what exactly gender is, about nature and nurture, you will love this book.

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