Sal cover art

Sal

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Sal

By: Mick Kitson
Narrated by: Sharon Rooney
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About this listen

This is a story of something like survival. Sal planned it for almost a year before they ran. She nicked an Ordnance Survey map from the school library. She bought a compass, a Bear Grylls knife, waterproofs and a first aid kit from Amazon using credit cards she'd robbed. She read the SAS Survival Handbook and watched loads of YouTube videos.

And now Sal knows a lot of stuff. Like how to build a shelter and start a fire. How to estimate distances, snare rabbits and shoot an airgun. And how to protect her sister, Peppa. Because Peppa is ten, which is how old Sal was when Robert started on her.

Told in Sal's distinctive voice, and filled with the silent, dizzying beauty of rural Scotland, Sal is a disturbing, uplifting story of survival, the kindness of strangers and the irrepressible power of sisterly love - a love that can lead us to do extraordinary and unimaginable things.

©2018 Mick Kitson (P)2018 Canongate Books Ltd Coming of Age Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Heartfelt Thought-Provoking Feel-Good Survival

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Critic reviews

"Kitson writes clearly and concisely...The girls’ capability, humanity and humour are inspiring and wonderful. Sal is an ambitious and skilled novel. Literature needs more stories like this." (Jenni Fagan, Guardian)
"Atmospheric...Distinctive...A vivid, moving tale about the strength of sisterhood and the struggle to survive." (Anita Sethi, Observer)
"Kitson inhabits the girls' voices with credible authenticity...This short, impressive debut is an uplifting tale of survival, shot through with humour, compassion and humanity." (Mail on Sunday)
All stars
Most relevant
I could not put this down, it is such a wonderful, difficult yet beautiful story, and the narration is excellent.
I didn’t wanted to end and I cried when it finished

Absolutely brilliant, a must listen

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This book was fantastic. I’m usually a reader of fantasy and science fiction but this was a very pleasant change.

Loved it

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I love nature and love the idea of these little girls heading out to the Scots wilderness to thrive on their own. I love the detail that we are given on just how to hunt, snare, fish and live in a cold climate without many resources. It was very cleverly told.
The troubled nature of Sal's and Peppa's early life makes their survival so much more important.
I think I fell in love with Sal right from the word go.

The narration is superb. I love her gentle lilting accent.

It was a beautiful book

Riveting

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Absolutely absorbed this audiobook over the course of a few days!
There are other books that deal with the this sort of difficult subject matter, but one of the things that makes this one special is the insight into the main protagonist's interests about survival and escape, and before you know it, they become the reader's interests.
Great narration, which really brought the highlands of Scotland to life and the childish characteristics of two little girls.

Hidden Gem

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I would recommend this book to anyone who loves to get lost in a book. It allowed me to disappear into the forest with Sal and Peppa and to feel as if I was somewhere else. The story was incredibly gripping, funny and intriguing and the characters were so lovable and real that you were rooting for them at every step.

The ending was a little disappointing I found however this didn’t take away from it being a brilliant book. Sharon Rooney really is perfect for this audiobook and I think this made it even better as her voice was a perfect fit.

Overall I would thoroughly recommend this book to anyone who loves to get lost in the world of books. Fantastic listen, you won’t be able to put it down!

Brilliant, beautifully read, gripping

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