Annabel

by Kathleen Winter

In 1968, into the beautiful, spare environment of remote coastal Labrador, a mysterious child is born: a baby who appears to be neither fully boy nor girl, but both at once. Only three people are privy to the secret -- the baby's parents, Jacinta and Treadway, and a trusted neighbour, Thomasina. Together the adults make a difficult decision: to raise the child as a boy named Wayne. But as Wayne grows to adulthood within the hyper-masculine 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.

Haunting, sweeping in scope, and stylistically reminiscent of Jeffrey Eugenides' Middlesex, Annabel is a compelling debut novel about one person's struggle to discover the truth in a culture that shuns contradiction.

(From Publisher).

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 2006 Metcalfe-Rooke Award. A long-time resident of St. John's, Newfoundland, she now lives in Montreal.

Winter's luminous debut novel is a deeply affecting portrait of life in Labrador, Canada, and the trials of growing up unique in a restrictive environment. Touching, inventive and ultimately brave, "Annabel" is a beautifully told, fully-realized tale of a mysterious child gifted or cursed by a rare condition at birth. Governor General's Award finalist 2010 and shortlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize 2010.

Fascinating story / novel about a child born in remote Labrador, with 2 sexes, and the consequences of choosing to raise that child as a boy. Well researched and captivating from page 1.

A transgender tale told with tenderness and sensitivity, set in Labrador, Newfoundland, where isolation and landscape are integral to the story.

Compelling debut novel by Atlantic Canadian author. Reviewers praise complex themes, rich characters, sense of place and time, and graceful language. Won Independent Literary Award, shortlisted for Giller, Rogers Writers Trust, Governor General's Fiction Award, Orange Prize and others. Also on several best book lists.

This compelling and beautifully written story is about an inter-sex child growing up in Labrador. Born in 1968 and raised as a boy named Wayne Blake, the child does not fit into the hunting and fishing culture of Croyden Harbour - much to his father's dismay. As Wayne matures to adulthood, that pull of a "shadow self" he calls Annabel, becomes stronger and stronger.