Rebecca Hendry
Rebecca Hendry
A novel set in Yellowknife's historic Old Town in the 70s that explores both abandonment and belonging in the life of a young woman.In the spring of 1977, Annie, a flighty artist, and her twelve-year-old daughter, Delilah, trade the cherry blossom trees and beaches of Vancouver for rugged and remote Old Town in Yellowknife, surprising Delilah's father by showing up on his doorstep. As she adapts to her new surroundings, Delilah befriends Will, a local Dene man and her father's business partner. But Annie's capricious nature undermines Delilah's elusive sense of belonging when Annie leaves Old Town for an artists' colony without saying goodbye. While coping with her family's instability and changes within herself, Delilah becomes attached to Will as she grows alienated from her increasingly aloof father. When Will vanishes in a blizzard one night, Delilah is devastated and suspects her father is to blame. What happened to Will? Is there anyone she can trust? Where-and with whom-does she belong?
Grace River is a smelter town in the interior of B.C. where most people who live there are born and bred, and everyone is either employed by AXIS or knows someone who is. Not much ever changes in Grace River. The days begin at Nick's Diner and end at the Steelworkers bar. When a young environmentalist arrives in town to investigate toxin levels in the river, the locals are forced to start looking honestly at their lives, their pasts and their uncertain futures. A powerful and courageous story told from the perspective of four friends, Grace River explores the reasons why people continue to stay in harmful situations and asks us to think about the damage we all do, not only to the environment, but also to the ones we love the most.