Alan Kennedy’s first novel, an affectionate homage to Arthur Ransome, re-issued in a completely revised edition. It is July 1929. Four children arrive for a boating holiday to find themselves locked out, the lake flooded and their boat inaccessible. But they soon discover that is only the beginning of things. Minor mishaps slowly become more threatening. Trivial decisions turn out to have distant and dreadful consequences. Problems that appear solved gradually change to something more serious. In a thrilling climax, as the children discover the secret of the old boat moored in the bay, courage and resourcefulness are not enough and it is uncertain who will survive. An evocation of a golden age when children stalked the earth. Lovers of Ransome’s fiction will recognise many familiar themes - above all, the magical lure of small boats.