This past weekend marked the publication of Annabel, the debut novel from acclaimed writer Kathleen Winter. With it came a flood of excellent reviews, a nomination for Atlantic Canada Reads, and the start of an exciting author blog tour (an Anansi first!).

Reviews

“Read it because it’s a story told with sensitivity to language that compels to the last page, and read it because it asks the most existential of questions. Stripped of the trappings of gender, [Kathleen] Winter asks, what are we?” — Globe and Mail

(Read an interview with Kathleen in the Globe and Mail.)

“Finely observed detail and gut-wrenching honesty, together with some rich characters and a perfectly rendered world, make Annabel a rare treat, and [Kathleen] Winter a welcome new voice in Canadian writing.” — Winnipeg Free Press

“Annabel’s strength lies in probing the dilemma of sexuality and self-knowledge. I have never read such an intimate portrait of a person struggling to live inside a self that the world sees as a dreadful mistake.” — National Post

“Annabel is a stunning and stirring debut that signals the long-overdue arrival of a literary talent.” — Halifax Chronicle Herald

“Destined to be one of the biggest novels out of Newfoundland this year, this is a story of isolation and a communication breakdown that breaks a family down, and breaks the reader down along with them.” St. John’s Telegram

Atlantic Canada Reads

Excellent East Coast book blog Salty Ink is playing off CBC’s Canada Reads competition with a special Maritime edition of the literary smackdown — Atlantic Canada Reads. Annabel is in the running, as is Lisa Moore’s February. The competition ends July 1st, so go and cast your vote now!

Blog tour

Kathleen Winter’s author blog tour started off with a bang on thoughtful literary blog KevinfromCanada. Kevin posted his review of Annabel on Saturday, and Kathleen followed with an intelligent and though-provoking guest blog post the next day (FYI: KevinfromCanada is giving away a copy of the book if you respond in the comments section!). Kathleen is also guest-editing the National Post book blog, The Afterword, this week. Read her first post and be sure to follow along all week for more.

Over the next few weeks, Kathleen will be a guest on several of our favourite Canadian literary blogs, including Kate’s Book Blog, Serendipitous Readings, Salty Ink, Books @ Torontoist, and KIRBC. Stay tuned for links (following us on Twitter is always a good bet!) as we follow Kathleen on her virtual tour.