River Boy

Grandpa is dying. He can barely move his hands any more but, stubborn as ever, refuses to stay in hospital. He’s determined to finish his last painting, ‘River Boy’, before he goes. At first Jess can’t understand his refusal to let go, but then she too becomes involved in the mysterious painting. And when she meets the river boy himself, she is suddenly caught up in a challenge of her own that she must complete – before it’s too late.

Winner of the Carnegie Medal.

“River Boy has all the hallmarks of a classic … You are not the same person at the end of this book.” Carnegie Medal Judges

“The book is indeed a stunner – powerful, magical, unforgettable, a young classic of a book enjoying the first couple of years of what could and should be immortality.” Evening Echo

“Unflinchingly facing down the subject of death, Bowler elevates it into an elegiac, magical depiction of a granddaughter’s relationship with her grandfather.” Scotland on Sunday

“The atmosphere is haunting, the sense of the power beyond ourselves, strong and silent, and the mystery of the natural world, woodlands and airy hills and sliding, glittering water are beautifully suggested, as is the strength – oh, subject most rare – of familial love.” The Spectator

‘A fine winner of this year’s Carnegie Medal – haunting, poetic and written with great feeling.’ The Mail on Sunday