COWGIRL PB – G. R. GEMIN

Growing up on the embattled Mawr Estate in South Wales, all Gemma sees are burglaries, muggings, sadness and boredom. With a dad in prison and a mum who has given up hope, she, like everyone around her, is holding on to memories of the times when happiness wasn t so hard to find. When her search for the scene of a perfect childhood day takes her up into the surrounding hills, Gemma is forced into a meeting with the legendary Cowgirl. Everyone at school knows she s a weirdo: six foot tall and angry, the only conversations she has are with the twelve cows on her dad s farm. But with her abrupt arrival in Gemma s life, everything starts to look different. And with her only friends in mortal danger of the abattoir, it turns out she and Gemma have a mission on their hands. A gently funny story of a community coming together, this is a tale of happy endings in unexpected places. Shortlisted for the Waterstones Prize Winner of the Tir na n-Og Award Cover illustration by Tom Clohosy Cole. Also by G. R. Gemin: Sweet Pizza The warmth and charm of Sweet Pizza are quite extraordinary; though there are some very moving moments, it is mainly a joyous and eccentric comedy. – Kate Saunders, Guardian Children s Fiction Prize Judge