Publisher's Synopsis
People in Blanow think that books are dangerous: they fill your head with drivel, make poor firewood and cannot be eaten. This book is about Howul. He sees things differently: fires are dangerous; people are dangerous; books are just books. He secretly writes down what goes on around him in Blanow. How its people treat foreigners, his daughter, him. Everything here keeps trying to kill him: rats, snakes, diseases, roof slates, the weather, the sea. When he gets thrown out of Blanow, his journey begins. Like all gripping stories, HOWUL is about the bad things people do to each other and what to do if they happen to you. Some people use sticks to stay safe. Some use guns. Words are the weapons that Howul uses most. He makes them sharp. He makes them hurt. Of course books are dangerous.
