A powerful tale of thirst, illness, and obsession
Patrick is almost finished university when his life turns upside down. It begins innocently enough, with a newly developed appreciation for the taste of water. His love of water quickly becomes an obsession, and before long, Patrick is drinking twenty cups a day. Then he starts experiencing other changes: exhaustion, weight loss, and (naturally) constant urination. He begins to fall behind in his last semester, but can't even muster up the energy to care. That's when Patrick lands in intensive care, where he develops a new obsession: survival.
The Water Lover offers a raw, vulnerable look at the realities of chronic illness, the limits of the Canadian medical system, and the rush of finding that elusive Prince album on vinyl.

Patrick Allaby is a cat person living in the dog part of Sackville, New Brunswick. He was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2015, and since then his work has largely focused on the experience of living with chronic illness. His first book, Martin Peters was published by Conundrum Press in 2019 and he has an MFA from the University of Waterloo.

Patrick Allaby's profile page

"This semi-autobiographical portrait of a student struggling with life at many levels. . . offers a complex view of a person who is learning what to prioritize as his life continually shifts. Importantly, it accomplishes this by presenting artwork & text that is well weighted on the page." - Carousel