Help Me, Jacques Cousteau

Description

Hazel is only a toddler when she sails back to Canada with her parents to begin a new life. As the boat dips and dives across the ocean and sends her bed crashing against the walls, Hazel wakes up to the tragic reality of the world around her. From then on, life seems a constant struggle as Hazel juggles with the miseries of childhood, while attempting to make sense of the odd bunch of grown-ups around her. After all, how much help can you expect from an uncle who collects only white animals, or a grandfather who drives around with a dead dog on the back seat of his convertible, when you have to confront your first day at school, the arrival of a baby brother or your parents' divorce? Still, life could be worse, thinks Hazel, she could be in the chess club, or have a name like Bogdana or Flower...In this haunting and extremely funny account of the world according to Hazel, Gil Adamson's first work of fiction, written two years ago and published now for the first time in the UK, reminds us that although growing up is about sorting out life as it is, from life as it should be, stories will always be there to help us pretend.

Promotion info

The Outlander was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers' Prize, won the International Association of Crime Writers' Dashiell Hammett Prize, was shortlisted for the Prix Femina and longlisted for the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award Gil Adamson's The Outlander has sold 25,000 copies through Nielsen Bookscan '...savour the marvel of Adamson's writing' Ann Patchett

Reviews

Praise for The Outlander: 'A remarkable first novel, full of verve, beautifully written, and with all the panache of a great adventure' Michael Ondaatje 'From the outset, this atmospheric debut has a palpable air of menace ... With the breathless pace of an old-fashioned adventure story, and a supporting cast of mavericks, eccentrics and outcasts, this rich novel is packed full of drama' Daily Mail 'A superb adventure story' Kate Saunders, The Times 'Striking, thoughtful, full of unexpected twists, The Outlander is that rare delight: a novel that is beautifully written yet as gripping as any airport page-turner ... there are echoes of Cormac McCarthy. Hugely enjoyable ... A rattling good yarn' Guardian

Author description

Gil Adamson has written two acclaimed books of poetry, Primitive and Ashland, and her work has also been widely published in magazines and literary journals. Her novel, The Outlander, won the International Association of Crime Writers' Dashiell Hammett Prize and the Amazon.ca/Books in Canada First Novel Prize. It has also been shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers' Prize and nominated for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. She lives with writer Kevin Connolly in Toronto.