The Drowning

THE DROWNING

Valerie Mendes

LBLA Digital

“After a spectacularly astonishing, and beautifully handled, opening section Jenna’s personal ambitions are set aside as she tries to cope with the aftermath of a fatality. The story follows her despair and dilemmas over family matters and her dreams of an opportunity to dance and go away and train with major specialist schooling. The renewed attention for the novel comes with the long-awaited move of the Urdang Academy to new premises at Finsbury Town Hall.”
The School Librarian

“Author Valerie Mendes has returned to the unique setting of St Ives for her fourth novel. … Returning to St Ives was a natural choice for Valerie, who first fell in love with the town when holidaying there as a child. ….”
The Cornishman

“As with Mendes’ previous novels,
Girl in the Attic
, and
Coming Of Age
, it is very difficult to tear oneself away from
Lost and Found
. Both my son and I found it very hard to stop reading once we had started. Mendes is a mistress of plot-weaving, skilfully introducing characters at a comfortable speed for the reader and yet never patronising her teenage target audience. … Adults writing for older children often have trouble pitching the tone of their writing and can end up sounding like children’s entertainers. Mendes avoids any danger of this through her obvious respect for her readers. … The novels are accessible and highly enjoyable for anyone from a mature pre-teen upwards, male or female.”
The Oxford Times

“Amy is an attractive heroine and Mendes’ tantalising tale unfolds in an atmospheric and engaging way.”
The Observer

“This is a beautiful portrayal of a girl on the edge of adulthood and a lovely follow-on to
Girl in the Attic
. … Mendes displays a fantastic ability to delve deep into the hearts and minds of her characters. As a reader you really get to know Amy, and just as she finds it hard to let the past go, I found it hard to let her go. A truly inspiring read for any teenager.” Waterstones

“Childhood tragedy means that growing up is tough for Amy. As she begins to come to terms with what happened, she discovers a mysterious postcard which threatens to further undermine her rocky family life. … An Italian journey of discovery follows for Amy in this superb teenage story from the author of the outstanding
Girl in the Attic
.” Ottakar’s

“This gripping story covers six years and a gamut of emotions in Amy’s life. Two weeks after finishing it, I look back as on a film, so vivid are the characters, the situations, and the changing scenes. Also the dialogue and conversations always ring true. The author creates memorable, visual set pieces.”
The School Librarian

“An exquisite first novel … An unusual ghost story set in Cornwall, it is beautifully written, with a rich understanding of love and friendship.”
Daily Telegraph

“Gripping.”
Daily Mirror

“This great read gives you a boy’s point of view on what it’s like to have a total crush.”
Mizz

“The story is well-written—sometimes tense, sometimes atmospheric, sometimes particularly descriptive. A sound read.”
Carousel

“If you’re into gripping, mysterious and slightly sinister stories, this is definitely the story for you.
Girl in the Attic
is a masterpiece!”
Teen Titles

“The sense of place, the frustrations of the protagonists, and the development of the mystery all contribute to a page-turning read.” School Library Association

“I thought that
Lost and Found
was the best thing you’ve ever written—gripping, fast-moving, delicate and touching. I thought the shifting perspectives offered by the different narrative voices added a whole new dimension to your work, and I especially loved Jade’s first-person narratives. And Kieran’s chapter is not only a masterstroke, coming where it does, but is also the finest writing of all. The song is an especially wonderful touch.” Sam Mendes

Valerie Mendes wrote her first short story when she was six years old. It was published in her school magazine. Reading it that night, she decided she wanted to be a writer. After North London Collegiate School, where she was awarded a State Scholarship in English and History, she went to Reading University and gained an Honours Degree in English and Philosophy. She began a long career in publishing, initially as a journalist and then in book publishing itself.

The publication of two of her short stories in
Puffin Post
encouraged her developing passion in writing for children. Two picture books followed:
Tomasina’s First Dance
and
Look at Me, Grandma!
Then, several years later, four critically acclaimed novels for young adults allowed her to explore in powerful story form many of the current issues that affect the lives of teenagers today:
Girl in the Attic
,
Coming of Age
,
Lost and Found
and
The Drowning
.
Larkswood
is Valerie’s first historical novel for the adult marketplace. It is a gripping family saga about the Hamilton clan, set in 1897 and 1939.

Valerie lives and works in Woodstock, Oxfordshire. She is proudly the mother of the theatre and film director Sam Mendes CBE, and Granny Vowel to Mia and to Joe.

You can visit her website
www.valeriemendes.com

Young adult novels
Picture books
Tomasina’s First Dance

Look at Me, Grandma!
Adult novel
Larkswood

Copyright © 2005 Valerie Mendes

First published as an e-book in the United Kingdom by LBLA Digital in 2012

First published in paperback in the United Kingdom by Simon & Schuster in 2005

This e-book is sold subject to the condition it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated in any form or by any means, electronic or otherwise without the publisher’s prior written consent.
All rights reserved
Artwork copyright © Louise Milidge using images supplied by Dreamstime

ISBN 978-1-908879-06-6

For Captain Phil Moran and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, St Ives, Cornwall, with gratitude, admiration and love

THE DROWNING

Valerie Mendes

I could not have written this novel without the help and encouragement of three people:

Captain Phil Moran, former Lifeboat Operations Manager of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, St Ives, Cornwall, who so generously shared with me his unique knowledge of both the sea and St Ives;

Liz Nolan and the students at her Theatre Dance School in Lelant, Cornwall, who put up with me practically living on the premises for a fortnight in September 2003, and who talked me through a host of technical and Cornish details;

and Angela Askew, former Director and Head of Dance at The Urdang at Finsbury Town Hall. Angela not only gave me her immediate and unstinting cooperation, but also shared with me the Urdang’s crucial move from their beloved banana warehouse in Covent Garden, their premises for the past thirty years, to the magnificent air and space of their new home.