Four New Words for Love - Softcover

'There are all kinds of love in here. Gentle, dignified and beautifully-wrought, the friendship which is at the heart of this book is a lovely, rare thing - as is Cannon's writing.' --Karen Campbell, author of This Is Where I Am

'A poignant, but not overly sentimental story, Four New Words for Love captures friendship at its most powerful and life-altering.'

--The List

Praise for Lachlan's War:

A novel of great integrity, a moving, slow-burning celebration... its honesty and poignancy are ultimately rewarding' - The Guardian

Cannon s lyrical prose... conveys a sense of displacement and despair which is deepened by the background war and eased only by excitement at change and comfort in the mundane. An absorbing read, Lachlan s War is a book that remains with the reader - Time Out

This is... a highly intelligent, absorbing and moving novel, distinguished by Michael Cannon s talent for characterisation and by a strong, well-managed plot... Cannon handles his plot deftly and has an admirable ability to devise and present striking scenes... There is humour and a warm humanity here too... You care for his characters and you find yourself hoping that things will turn out well for them. - Alan Massie, Scotsman

A dark tale that manages to offer hope. He is not only an appealing writer but an extremely good one - Sunday Herald

A fine tapestry of plot and character... page-turning, entertaining and comic. An incredibly moving,wondrous piece of writing --The List

'Michael Cannon explores the powerful, life-affirming qualities of friendship in its many forms... sensitively drawn and beautifully evoked... The novel's denouement is compelling.' --CelticLife

Christopher is a decent, elderly, suburban Londoner learning to live again after his release from a loveless marriage following the death of his wife. By chance he meets Gina, a young homeless women from Glasgow, on Waterloo Bridge. With new-found spontaneity, he offers her room for the night, and there begins an unlikely platonic friendship between two people from opposite ends of the country, both geographically and socially. Gina has left behind a life devoid of opportunity and a dark tragedy, and slowly, under Christopher's protection, she re-finds her confidence. But a causal remark shatters their fragile domestic idyll, forcing Christopher to leave London and travel to Glasgow's mean streets to find and be reconciled with his new friend. Four New Words for Love is a beautifully crafted portrait of two damaged lives from different ends of the social spectrum who are both seeking release from the mistakes and thwarted potential of the past. Michael Cannon demonstrates a masterful restraint and boundless empathy in his development of two unforgettable characters attempting to change their lives.