The Narrowboat Summer (2020) by Anne Youngson #20BOS26

 

🚤 I don't know why, but to me, living in a boat feel somehow romantic. Though in reality I would probably reject the idea, reading about life in a narrowboat on a journey through the canals, brings a wholesome satisfaction in me. That's how I know that I would enjoy this book immensely. And I wasn't wrong. This is a story of second chances, of three women - complete strangers - who have one thing in common: they are at a crossroads in life. One rainy afternoon, Eve and Sally's path crossed right in front of a moored narrowboat, when they were walking on the towpath along a canal. Just then, a dog's howling from inside the narrowboat attracted their attention. Just when they were about to help the dog, thinking that it has been left alone inside the boat, the owner came.

🚤 Anastasia has been living in the narrowboat called Number One for years. Now that she's about seventy years old, Anastasia is probably terminally ill and in need of an operation. However, the narrowboat also needs to be brought to a certain place for its annual maintenance. How would she do that? Enter Eve and Sally. Several cups of tea later, the three uncommonly women found a mutual solution to all of their predicaments. Eve and Sally would live in the narrowboat and drive it to its destination, while Anastasia would stay in Eve's apartment during her treatment. Eve has just resigned from her work, while Sally has just decided to leave her husband. Living a slow life on board a narrowboat would provide them chance to think about their future. 🚤 Having never been in a narrowboat before, let alone driving it, Eve and Sally is doing a great job following every instructions from Anastasia during their very short training. I had a lot of fun reading about the technicality of operating a narrowboat, including the locks. I even checked Google about the these locks and lock gates, which have much busied our two heroines during their journey; and it is pretty interesting. Canal locks change the water level in the canal so boats can go up and down hills. A lock is a stretch of canal that is blocked off at each end by solid gates. These gates are opened or closed to allow water to fill or drain from the lock.

a lock gate in the canal

So, if you think driving a narrowboat along the canal is a leisurely business, you'll be surprised at the amount of physical efforts involved. Sally and Eve dividing the jobs of steering the boat and working the locks alternately; I can't imagine when Anastasia did all by herself! 🚤 Along their journey, not only do they sorting out their predicament and thinking about their future with all the options, Eve and Sally also make friends with other boaters. The most memorable ones are a nineteen-year-old girl called Trompette, who partners a musical story-teller drug-addict called Billy. Billy used to tells stories to a circle of audience, and gets little money of it. Trompette is a good knitter, and sells her craft also for a little money. I learned too, that there are usually story-tellers or other entertainer like that amongst the narrowboaters. They all seem to form an attachment as a loose family - canal-family if you like. They know each others, and during their time on board the Number One, other boaters used to ask about Anastasia. The other memorable friend they make is Arthur - the elusive old man who used to hitchhike narrowboats in the past, and who knew a lot about Anastasia's past - something that Eve and Sally are eager to learn about, but Anastasia never discloses. 🚤 On the whole, it is a lovely story about friendship, second chances, and the charm of operating a narrowboat along the canals, where you can have a slow living while appreciating the landscape and the nature. It's full with eccentric yet amiable characters, and though plotless, Youngson fills the story with her great portrayal of the scenery and the canal-boaters' life. Loved everything about it, including how it ended up nicely for everyone - well, almost!
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2 

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20 Books of Summer 2026 hosted by Annabel @ AnnaBookBel