Set in Massachusetts, this 88 page novella tells the story of 12-year-old Ruth who develops a crush on Greg, a relative visiting from England. He is a professional artist, and being an aspiring artist herself she dreams he will be so impressed by her talent that he will fall in love with her. School friends tease her, but her family, apart from a kind and sympathetic aunt, are oblivious to the joy and anguish of young love. These few momentous days in Ruth’s life rush to a denouement in the last hours of Greg’s visit.

“a remarkable, marvellous and magnificent piece of writing… The moving story of a young girl’s first love paints a vivid picture of her feelings at the stage of early adolescence [put] brilliantly in the context of her family, her peer group and of course the relationship with the object of her love… The emotional highs and lows of the encounter are treated with touching poignancy and gentle humour.”

(Prof. Harry Procter, Consultant Clinical Psychologist) 

“a compelling and fascinating read… [the author’s] treatment of the raw, often confused emotions of a girl on the cusp of her teenage years is deft, elegant, and exquisitely articulate. With a sharp eye for the telling detail and excellent sketching in of secondary characters, Skinner builds the narrative towards a wrenching, powerful scene of farewell, followed by a brief concluding chapter that releases the tension and nods optimistically towards the future…”.

(T.A. Unwin, Professor of French)

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