Anna and the Swallow Man

A chilling, stylishly written and utterly memorable story * Guardian, Best New Children's Books 2016 * A small wonder, and for once a book worthy of the hype * Alex O'Connell, The Times * The breakout WWII drama . . . is causing quite the stir amongst both adults and the pre-teens it's aimed at * Stylist - 'Your Essential 2016 Reading List' * Tense, moving, original and skilled, this phenomenal debut will seize sophisticated readers * Nicolette Jones, Sunday Times - Children's Book of the Week * It sometimes seems there can be no stories left to tell about the anguish of Nazi-occupied countries in 1939-45 but the debut novel by Gavriel Savit makes the territory new * Observer * A beautifully haunting and thought-provoking story of friendship that lingers long after the last page * Ruta Sepetys * A bold first novel that promises more from the undoubtedly talented Savit * Guardian * A beautifully written debut * Sunday Express * This wonderfully original concept, enigmatic in style yet grounded in brutal reality, is written with deceptive power and grace * Daily Mail * A stark and beautifully written tale that will leave you feeling unsettled yet enthralled * Woman Magazine * Savit's young adult novel reveals the power and danger of language, the necessity for deceit when humanity is under siege and . . . the hope that we will all find a guardian when we most need it * Sainsbury's Magazine * Savit brilliantly dramatizes the adventures of survival . . . this book has an enticing sense of fable * Daily Telegraph * Savit's story is aimed at anyone who will listen. A 10-year-old may identify with Anna. A teenage reader will absorb the deftness and sophistication of the telling. An adult will find his or her expectations challenged * New York Times * There's much for adults to love about Gavriel Savit's beautiful tale * Sun, Fabulous Magazine * The book that brings magic to the 20th century's darkest hour * Mashable * Savit captures the moods, fears and delightful conversation of this odd couple on their implausible odyssey. It's a touching tale, both sad and sweet * Mail on Sunday, EVENT magazine - Best New Fiction * An astonishingly accomplished debut about war, survival and humanity . . . this is very much in the territory of The Book Thief and The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas with all the potential that such a comparison suggests * Fiona Noble, The Bookseller - One to Watch * [a] complex graceful book * Financial Times * Exquisite * Irish Independent * Exquisite debut novel * Wall Street Journal * Like the characters in his debut novel, author Gavriel Savit has harnessed the power of language. He's a talented wordsmith, wielding words and sentences with a precision that allows them to wriggle deep into this reader's heart, leaving me both enchanted and brokenhearted * Sara Grochowski, Publishers Weekly * One of those all ages and no age stories . . . told by a genuine wordsmith . . . And it's a story of generosity in the worst of times. Of friendship and loyalty and yes, of love despite all the horror. We won't forget how it felt to read it. Ever * Jill Murphy, The Bookbag * A beautiful and stunning read . . . It creeps slowly into your heart just like Morris Gleitzman'sOnce, and The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas did * Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books * Such an important, painful, beautiful, hopeful read * Bloggers Heart Books * A harsh tale of innocence lost, yet touched with magic * Herald * This is cleverly done and beautifully written tale of loss, hope, survival and trust * Kate Ormand * Savit spins a dark and heart-breaking tale of history and fable seen through the eyes of a child. A thought-provoking read, great for book clubs * South Wales Evening Post, Children's Book of the Week * A complex, gruelling trip through the midnight of the last century * Financial Times - Summer Reading 2016 *

Gavriel Savit graduated in musical theatre. As an actor and singer, Gavriel has performed on three continents, from New York to Brussels to Tokyo. He lives in Brooklyn, New York. Anna and the Swallow Man is his first novel.