An unconventional love story from Kerry Hudson, one of the most acclaimed debut authors of 2012.      The beginning of a relationship is usually all about getting to know each other, about deep and meaningful conversations far into the night, about comparing experiences and stories, triumphs and calamities until we know each other inside out.      Not so for Dave and Alena. He's from London, she's from Siberia. They meet in the shoe department of a swanky London department store, where she's up to no good and it's his job to catch her. So begins an unlikely relationship between two people with pasts, with secrets, they've no idea how to live with or leave behind. But despite everything they don't have in common, all the details they won't and can't reveal, they still find themselves fighting with all they've got for a future together.       Thirst is the heart-wrenching, life-affirming second novel from Kerry Hudson, whose debut Tony Hogan Brought Me an Ice-cream Float Before He Stole My Ma was one of the most talked about UK debuts of 2012 and was shortlisted for six prizes, including the Guardian First Novel Award and the Sky Arts Awards.