Going Back
Going Back was published in the summer of 2013. It tells the story of Andrew Macintyre and his friends, badly scarred at the age of 15 by events they barely understood at the time, and of how, 25 years later, they all learn to come to terms with what happened to them.
West Germany, 1978 Andy Macintyre, on a two-week exchange visit with his schoolmates to a village in the shadow of the East German border, finds himself drawn into the dark world of his host's sister, Karla. What Karla does to him changes who he is, but, lost in his own problems, he doesn't see that others around him have also been damaged.
Germany, 2003 Twenty-five years later, Andrew Macintyre returns to the site of the trip, to find the Iron Curtain gone, and discovers that his memories don't tell the whole story of what happened that summer. Slowly, he uncovers the truth of how one family's pain seeped into his life, and the lives of his friends. As he rekindles old friendships, he begins to understand that coming to terms with the past might give him the best chance of breaking free of it.
Going Back is the story of how the past informs the present, even when it is only remembered in fragments, and of why it is never too late to pull down the fences we build around ourselves.
Praise for Going Back:
- The novel starts out very well; its structure expertly builds tension as the reader waits to discover more information, particularly about Karla. In the crucial scene between her and Andy, Watt beautifully and wrenchingly portrays the vulnerable boy’s deeply mixed feelings, and he nicely balances this first section with present-day and long-ago perspectives." Kirkus Reviews
- "Suspense and interesting characters kept my attention right through to the end. Great book!" Review from Amazon.com
- "The storyline has so many twists and turns in regards to the character interactions that you are left with a sense of wonderment and amazement." Review from Amazon.com
- "I felt I got to know the main characters extremely well and they were developed throughout the book (possibly better that most books I have read)." Review from Goodreads.com
- "The unsettling story of the group of characters is both captivating and mysterious. Filled with truly well-developed characters, powerful symbolism and a great plot I would definitely recommend this novel to anyone interested!" Review from Goodreads.com
- "I would recommend this book to anyone wanting a good redemptive story, and I will be keeping my eye out for any further books that Watt writes." Review from Goodreads.com
Background material:
Illustrations and the soundtrack:
Illustrations of key passages from the book, and the solution to one minor mystery. (Pinterest link)
The soundtrack to Going Back (Spotify link)
Read an extract from Going Back:
June 1978: an extract from Part 1 of Going Back
via Goodreads, read the opening of the ebook version of Going Back on your browser.
Buy Going Back:
Amazon:
Click on the image to be taken to your local Amazon page for Going Back
Apple iBookstore:
Book Depository (print version):
