Barbara Henderson
Novelist, Young Quills Award winner
“Simon West’s Abner evokes a vivid world of captains and commanders, dizzying waves and dramatic dilemmas. I could smell the sea salt, hear the ropes groan under the strain, feel the fear of the westward journey prickle on my skin. Some books linger. This is one of them. An impressive debut.”
Murray Watts
Screenwriter, Playwright
“Abner is a compelling and beautiful tale, full of intriguing characters and mysterious locations. Simon West has created an authentic other world, with light and darkness, joy and despair, and some marvellous descriptive writing. We follow the adventures of Abner in all his eagerness, fear, failure, and triumph. He is an unlikely hero who commands our sympathy as much because of his waywardness and mistakes as his enterprise and daring. This is a rite-of-passage story, which is rich in metaphor and allusions to ancient wisdom and long-forgotten truths. Abner will stay in the mind and heart of the reader for years to come.”
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