How to Build a Boat

"Jamie O'Neill loves the colour red. He also loves tall trees, patterns, rain that comes with wind, the curvature of many objects, books with dust jackets, cats, rivers and Edgar Allan Poe. At age thirteen there are two things he especially wants in life: to build a Perpetual Motion Machine and to connect with his mother, Noelle, who died when he was born. In his mind these things are intimately linked. And at his new school, where all else is disorientation and overwhelming he finds two people who might just be able to help him." -- dust jacket