The Polite Act of Drowning
- Author Charleen Hurtubise
- Narrator Ina Marie Smith
- Publisher Bonnier Books UK
- Publish Date 6 April 2023
- Run Time 7 hours and 30 minutes
- Format x-book®
- Genre Family life fiction, Modern and contemporary fiction, Narrative theme: Coming of age, Narrative theme: Sense of place.
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What to expect
'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
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...
Critics Review
‘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’
‘…loved every word of it. Such a beautifully written, evocative book … Heartbreaking at times, this is ultimately a story of hope. The best book I’ve read this year so far. If you liked The Paper Palace, you’ll love this’
‘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’
‘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’
‘Hauntingly atmospheric’
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