Behindlings Book

"Spurting with kinetic energy, nasty wit, and kindness to animals, Wesley ought to be a star. Or so it seems to the "Behindlings" - followers who nip at his heels, turn up everywhere he goes, and lie in wait for him around every corner. And they themselves make quite an ensemble as they join a treasure hunt in their tiny English town. They skulk through the dreary streets of Canvey Island, gathering their own scabby intentions, irritating habits, and weird manners, but they bury all differences in the common pursuit of their true prize, their Wesley." Then there are those who simply stay put. While Wesley and his followers are forever on the move, Katherine Turpin lies defiantly isolated in the bed she makes for herself, while outside her failings are broadcast to all, even painted on walls - though the curious and the weak still return to her door and her garden of hydrangeas. And when one of the newest Behindlings, Jo Bean, turns from watching Wesley to confront Katherine, much of what has been cobbled together for altogether too long comes very undone. A January cold snap produces an uncommon amount of heat and light, and the flurry that follows stirs up an unnerving blend of orphans, messing about in boats, and one unforgettable heron.