Featherweight
Mick Kitson
Available as Paperback, Hardback, eBook, Downloadable audio
A compelling story of overcoming all the odds, and a woman centuries ahead of her time, set on the canals of nineteenth-century England
‘A gleeful, page-flipping read’ Observer
‘The ultimate summer escape’ New York Times
One wrong move, one misstep, and the course of a life can be changed for ever.
Annie Perry is born beside the coal-muddied canals of the Black Country at the height of the industrial revolution. At nine years old she is sold for six guineas to the famous and feared bare-knuckle boxer Bill Perry, the Tipton Slasher. From that moment on, Annie will fight – for Bill and for her future.
A whole new world opens up to Annie, one of love, fortune and family, but also of great danger.
“A punchy historical yarn … [Kitson] has a fine time with Annie and the Slasher – warm, memorable creations who come punching off the page … Featherweight transports the reader to the tough, rapidly industrialising world of the 19th-century Black Country, with its old canals and new railways, the soot of the forges and strikes at the nail factories, via lushly detailed, rhythmical descriptions … A gleeful, page-flipping read … A rollicking tale, one you’ll be glad to take a ringside seat for”
observer
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“Annie is a lively, appealing character and there is plenty more to enjoy in Kitson’s narrative”
sunday Times, Best New Historical Fiction
“The ultimate summer escape … Sweeping … Will transport you to 19th-century England”
new York Times
“A rollicking historical novel set in the Black Country during the Industrial Revolution … Offers plenty to enjoy”
daily Mail
“Kitson creates a Dickensian flavour through Black Country dialogue, a strong sense of place (a smut-blackenedindustrial town), and colourful characterisation. Detailed descriptions of what goes on in the ring add suspense … Readers will love rooting for this great little fighter who easily punches above her weight … Compelling”
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Mick Kitson
Mick Kitson was born in South Wales, and studied English at university before launching the prolific ’80s pop band The Senators with his brother Jim. He worked as a journalist for several years, then went on to become an English teacher. His debut novel, Sal, was the winner of the Saltire First Book Award. Mick lives in Fife, Scotland.
