Winterton Blue: A Novel

Written by Trezza Azzopardi

Narrated by Michael Page

Two damaged souls find a chance at love on the English coast in this “darkly charming” novel by the author of Man Booker Prize finalist, The Hiding Place (Kirkus Reviews).

For twenty years Lewis has been haunted by his twin brother’s death. Try as he might to escape this tragedy, the ghost of Wayne confronts him at every turn. Anna is also haunted—by her loud and carefree mother, Rita, who just so happens to be very much alive. When Lewis meets Anna, he is pulled into a world of carousing, music hall turns, and cocktails as he searches for the person he believes responsible for Wayne’s death.

Against the backdrop of the Norfolk coast, with its massive skies and relentless seas, Anna and Lewis slowly learn to trust each other and accept that an uncertain future can be as wild and alluring as the landscape they have grown to love. In this deeply affecting novel, “Beryl Bainbridge, Muriel Spark and Graham Greene all come to mind, but Azzopardi’s style is all her own” (Chicago Tribune).

A New York Times Editors’ Choice

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Release date: Mar 20, 2007
• ISBN: 9781423329756

Trezza Azzopardi

Trezza Azzopardi was born in Cardiff and lives in Norwich. She is the author of The Song House, Remember Me, and The Hiding Place, which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 2000.

Reviews for Winterton Blue

[porte01 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I did not particularly enjoy this book and it took a bit if effort to finish it. The idea behind the plot, (the struggles of the two main characters and their finding each other, the backdrop of the seaside and all) sounded interesting, but the execution of the story was not. Neither of the two characters was likable. I could not relate to Anna in particular, and felt sorry for her mother. I also did not like the author jumping around in time and found myself trying to keep track of to who and when certain things were happening. Overall, a somewhat disappointing read.

[jeanned_14 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Highly recommended! The themes are as old as any story we have shared with each other: boy meets girl, the quest. The writing is beautiful. Here's a taste: "It was a most particular cruelty that he would remember the look on his mother's face when she saw which son was spared." If you're looking for a way to treat yourself, consider this.

[lynnb_64 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Trezza Azzopardi writes well; there is a feeling of poetry and surprisingly startling moments in this writing. Unfortunately, the story isn't up to the writing.Lewis is haunted by the death of twin brother twenty years ago and his subsequent estrangement from his mother. Anna is dealing with her eccentric 76-year-old mother, and struggling to make a life for herself in London. Their path's cross, they fall in love....I found it hard to really empathize with any of the characters; the plot moves slowly with too many shifts between Lewis's story and Anna's. Anna's mother, at times, seems to be there as a failed attempt at comic relief. It just didn't work for me.

[thinkpinkdana · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Winterton Blue may be a case of don't judge a book by it's cover. I won't say I hated it, because that wouldn't be accurate. Perhaps the best thing to say is that I suffered a curious detachment to the story, the characters and the questionable resolution. At times tediously slow in its character development, Winterton Blue is a mired in the quicksand of dysfunction, and I don't think it ever truly escapes that trap. Parts of it are beautifully written and there is the potential for so much more, but most story lines seemed to meander to no real ending and most characters were left spiraling alone, with little insight or explanation into their actions. Overall, if I had to rate this I would give it 3/5. It wasn't a total waste of time, but it wasn't what I'd hoped.