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.
Shortlisted for the Orange Prize.
'Remarkable... Deeply moving' The Times
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.
'[A] haunting, powerful story... This is a remarkable first novel, an accomplished debut by an exciting new voice with a confident, mature style' Daily Express
'Powerful and important... This is a human and humane book about...friendship, parental love and its limitations' Irish Times
'Kathleen Winter has the steadfast clarity and quietly assured talent to make this difficult subject her own... Winter has a strikingly mellifluous voice, and she has created a potent story' Independent
'A moving tale, told with precision and care' Glasgow Herald
'A heartbreaking tale... Winter's novel elegantly allows for the awkward ambiguities of the situation' Marie Claire
