In a dangerous world where predators both human and animal roam the land and the sea, an orphaned young boatman, Dane, lives by his wits.He wanders alone, doing what he can to survive both the terrors of the water and the violent depredations of the Clan - a group of warriors who raid settlements and hunt down any trace of the old knowledge derived from the mythical 'Golden Years'.Along with his precious kayak and his few weapons, Dane holds another treasure close. It's a battered old book given to him by his mother, long ago, a book that's a source of comfort even in the hardest of times. Because of damage to his Kayak, and following a scene of pillage by the Clan, Dane goes in search of an old man named Garth who is reputed to have great boat-building skills. This encounter with the book-loving old man and his fund of stories, but more especially with his extraordinary grand-daughter Lana, will change everything for Dane. And it will set him and Lana on a dangerous and unpredictable quest that will lead them to discover unwelcome truths about their world, and themselves?The first middle-grade novel for over fifteen years by the eminent, multi-award-winning writer Victor Kelleher, Wanderer is not only an exciting, immersive adventure set in a brilliantly-imagined alternative world:it is also a lyrical love song to the power of books and stories.