9 Degrees

On the power of cold water, and finding yourself again

The water is nine degrees when Josie ventures into the river for the first time, at the request of her seriously ill friend Rena. Perhaps the shock of the cold also numbs her fear of losing Rena. But what Josie experiences goes beyond anything she could have hoped for. Cold-water swimming puts her in touch with herself, and helps her to experience her body – with which she has always had a complex relationship – in an entirely new way. And there’s something else that’s new: her relationship with Lee, a man she met on Tinder. But Lee has his own demons: he is battling depression. What does this mean for their love affair – and what do liminal experiences do to a person? Elli Kolb explores this subject in her moving début novel.

A strong début from a promising young author

An authentic voice: Elli Kolb has been blogging about body positivity, mental health and depression for a long time – and is a keen cold-water swimmer herself