In the midst of a heaven-rattling summer storm a young stranger blows into a small prairie town. On the run after taking her latest boyfriend's truck, with a pocketful of stolen money and a heart full of pain, seventeen-year-old Noreen Stall seems to invite trouble.
And trouble comes soon enough, as Noreen's new mistakes trigger calamities that shake the lives of the residents of Pembina Lake. Acclaimed novelist Martha Brooks has written an unforgettable and award-winning story about a terribly complex heroine and the effects she has on those around her.
Grace, insight and transcendence are three words this book brings to mind.
...reaffirms Brooks' position as Canada's premier writer for the older adolescent...Highly recommended.
...bracing, lyrical, prayerful and funny. It's an outstanding read, and not just for teenagers.
Brooks has a masterful hand at description.....she shares her vision of the richness of ordinary life in all its pain and glory.
[Brooks] has created a quietly astonishing work of art....a loving tribute to the big stories in little lives.
A clear-eyed and clarifying look at power of community...
...a story of the redeeming power of love, with a cast of memorable characters who will have you cheering them on...
Share this book with older readers and younger ones too. You won't be sorry. It'll become one of those literary experiences that you'll truly savour.
...credible and heart-wrenching...The characters are so real the reader becomes a part of the story.
...a wonderful work of realistic fiction, truly a gem.
What an excellent novel!...sad, tender, poignant, hopeful-and powerful.
[Brooks] establishes herself yet again as someone who can express the turmoil of adolescence and the difficulty of coping with life when the cards aren't necessarily dealt in one's favour.