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Waterland

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Waterland

By: Graham Swift
Narrated by: Alex Jennings
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FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF LAST ORDERS AND MOTHERING SUNDAY.

One summer morning in 1943, lock-keeper Henry Crick finds the drowned body of a sixteen-year-old boy. Nearly forty years later, his son Tom, a history teacher, is driven by a bizarre marital crisis and the provocation of one of his students to forsake the formal teaching of history—and tell stories . . .

Waterland is a classic of modern fiction: a vision of England seen through its mysterious, amphibious Fen country; a sinuous meditation on the workings of time; a tale of two families, startling in its twists and turns and universal in its reach. Compulsively readable, it is a novel of resonant depth and encyclopaedic richness, mixing human and natural history and exploring the tragic forces that take us both forwards and back. It is also a book about beer, eels, the French Revolution, the end of the world, windmills, will-o’-the-wisps, murder, love, education, curiosity and—supremely—the malign and merciful element of water.

‘A quite brilliant novel’ Daily Telegraph

‘Inspired’ New York Times
 Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction French Revolution
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One of the best novels I have listened and read. A sweeping, epic tale that keeps at it's heart human emotions told through the eyes of an out of time history teacher. Everything is here, class, history, Britain, nature, love. A well told tale, with twists and turns as good as any thriller. Alex Jennings is a superb performer and this is one I will return to time and time again.

DESERVES TO BE A CLASSIC

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So well read and engrossing. Depicts the Fenland landscape with such strong brushstrokes. A fine work.

An engrossing landscape

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I loved the slow drip of information, creating a picture of family life in the fens.
probably the best book I've ever read/ listened to

brilliant story telling

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Compelling and surprising from start to finish. How our own histories play out against the back drop of global histories, and ultimately help shape the relationships, heartbreak and our own personal inner landscapes. A completely addictive story of inheritance, masterfully weaved.

An exceptional read

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A high quality production of an excellent book which speaks strongly about the human experience in an engaging and affecting way. It’s all in there: love, tragedy, madness, war, hope, fear, trauma, being young and growing old, life and death.

Everyone should read (or hear) this book

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