Waterline

Mick Little used to build ships on the Clyde, bringing home a wage for his wife Cathy and their two sons. Thirty years later and the yards are long closed, his kids grown up and Cathy has just died. Mick, burdened by an unspoken guilt over her death, abandons Glasgow. In London - in the sweating kitchens of an anonymous hotel, in a crowded coach station, down by the river - it seems that a once proud man might be able to disappear from the world. An extraordinary, tender portrayal of the life of an ordinary man, Waterline stops us looking the other way and directs our gaze to a story that could so easily be anybody's. 'A work of grace, sparkling with its own humour. One of the most brilliant 'Scottish' novels of recent years.' Alan Warner, Guardian 'Grippingly done, harrowing. Raisin is a novelist of terrific ability and great verve.' Philip Hensher, Daily Telegraph 'Brilliant, heartbreaking. A great read . . . confirms Raisin as an exciting talent, a unique, gifted voice.' David Vann, Financial Times 'Truly absorbing, mesmerises from its very first pages. A spectacular follow-up to Raisin's prize-winning debut.' Time Out 'A poignant, shocking, wry, and cunningly crafted classic. If you're looking for the definitive novel for our times, this is the strongest candidate I've read for ages.' Scotsman