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The Polite Act of Drowning (Hardback)
Charleen Hurtubise (author)Published: 06/04/2023
A devastating exploration of identity, grief and small-town life, Hurtubise's affecting debut focuses on the relationship between teenage Joanne and troubled newcomer Lucinda in the wake of a local tragedy.
The luminous debut novel from one of Ireland's finest storytellers.
Michigan, 1985. The drowning of a teenage girl causes ripples in the small town of Kettle Lake, though for most the waters settle quickly. For sixteen year old Joanne Kennedy, however, the tragedy dredges up untold secrets and causes her mother to drift farther from reality and her family.
When troubled newcomer Lucinda arrives in town, she offers Joanne a chance of real friendship, and together the teenagers push against the boundaries of family, self-image, and their sexuality during the tension of a long, stifling summer. But the undercurrents of past harms continuously threaten to drag Joanne and those around her under...
Publisher: Bonnier Books Ltd
ISBN: 9781804182215
Number of pages: 288
Weight: 499 g
Dimensions: 240 x 162 x 28 mm
MEDIA REVIEWS
'The Polite Act of Drowning is a beautiful and captivating novel, lyrical and sensuous, a precise and faithful evocation of the tumult and trauma of family life, and of emergence into adulthood, and the confrontation of truths about ourselves and the people we love' - Donal Ryan
'Charleen Hurtubise is a gifted storyteller. The vivid world of Kettle Lake, its natural beauties, its characters and its secrets, comes alive in this lyrical, evocative novel. Hurtubise's writing is skilful, compelling, mesmeric' - Lia Mills
'A luminous and gripping portrait of a teenage girl coming of age in a small lakeshore community. Filled with colourful, complicated characters and brimming with heartbreak, love, and redemption, it is an exquisite debut from a powerful storyteller' - Michelle Gallen
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“This is literary fiction at its absolute best!”
The Polite Act of Drowning is a masterfully written coming of age novel. This book made me feel so deeply and it was so expertly crafted: the characters were flawed, but so human and so real; the sense of place is... More
“Very well written….”
This book was exceedingly well portrayed with a vivid, lyrical and poetic narrative. Although this intelligent style of writing may not be for everyone, to the more discerning reader this is a dream come true and... More
“Perfect coming of age novel”
I finished The Polite Act Of Drowning a week ago and I still find myself thinking about it quite often.
The writing is truly exquisite - hard to believe it is a debut! It really transports the reader into the time...
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