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.
