Book description
In 1910, while twelve-year-old Addy McLeod waits in a cabin in the
Kootenay wilderness of southeastern British Columbia for her brother,
Cask, to send for her, she fends off the unwanted advances of her
alcoholic stepfather. When tragedy strikes, she is forced to flee and
disguise herself as a boy.
Addys determined search for Cask becomes a journey of self-discovery
as she encounters a tough trapper woman who cares for her when shes
ill, works in a hotel in the silver town of Kaslo on Kootenay Lake,
and meets her first love, Ian.
But just as Addys search for Cask is about to end, the First World
War breaks out and her world is torn apart once again. With great
resolve she devotes herself to joining the war effort on the home
front and eventually learns what forgiveness is all about.
Most compelling is Addy herself: not only is she hard-working and
determined, but despite having no family, little formal education, and
no community, she has an unflappable moral compass. The majority of the
secondary characters are also finely drawn, and Chandler employs humour
and well-chosen details to make each stand out.
Ann Chandler has
published non-fiction for adults in Reader's Digest, The
Beaver, and Canadian Cowboy Country. Her previous novel for
young people was Siena Summer. She lives in Coquitlam, British Columbia.
