Perriwillow: A narrowboat tale – and a review – in verse

A HUNDRED and ninety-four pages, 22 chapters, all in four-line verses?

Must be a poetry lover’s book and not for the novel reader?

But wait – do not pass this book by!

You will miss out on a real treat.

Perriwillow, a dwarf, wanders off from a city far away. Lost and lonely, he’s taken in by a witch, a wicked witch.

It doesn’t end well, the witch dies; the wizard blames the dwarf.

The wizard wants revenge, Perriwillow to pay. Perriwillow comes across a water road, completely new to him, as are the folks who live on the boats on the water.

From the boat folk he learns of a good witch who could help him to get home.

Back to Dwarf city, escaping the wizard.

But the good witch is in Stoke Bruerne, the dwarf heading south.

So the escape and the chase begin.

Twists and turns, the wizard makes a Wally of himself, has a crew who laugh at him as much as you will.

Up and down locks, quite a few pubs, ales new to a dwarf, but he seems to like it, becoming a ‘proper’ boater.

It’s a long journey down to find the good witch. Did Perriwillow escape back to the city, or did the Wally get his revenge?

With total apologies to Janul the author for my poor attempt at rhyme, but reading this tale gets your brain into a different place.

All the ‘boat folk’ are real people of the cut, if you know the Shroppie, the Shropshire Union Canal, and the BCN – Birmingham Canal Navigations – you’ll probably know some of them, or at least their boats, they may even have delivered your coal and diesel. Highly recommended, not just for boaters, also for people who like wizards, witches and dwarves, even if you’re not sure about verse novels.

Perriwillow: A Narrowboat Tale by Janul, published by Janul Publications. Available via the Book Depository for £8.99, Amazon, or via Janul’s website at www.Janul.com

Email – perriwillow@janul.com

ISBN -978-1906921-20-0 (paperback)

ISBN – 978-1906921-21-7 (e-pub)

Also available in Kindle