Winner of the Percy Janes First Novel Award

Henry Puddester is a freshly retired civil servant whose life goes off the rails after an innocent trip to the supermarket, where he inadvertently switches his shopping cart with that of a young mother. When he ends up with an infant alongside his four dozen eggs, Henry’s life goes into free fall, and he wishes himself back at work, safe from misplaced babies, aggressive lawyers, and the eccentric nutbar driving a 1983 Ford LTD covered with 4,000 trinkets.

Join this crowd of loons, including Frank, who’s building a time machine in his shed, Akela, the pedantic Cub Scout leader, and Dash, the Spadoodle-screaming Fortnite addict, as Henry attempts to survive two weeks in an unforgiving Newfoundland spring.

“Anyone can accidentally end up stealing a baby at the supermarket. In fact, one day it may happen to you. That’s why you’ll find this novel either terrifying or hilarious!” — Andy Jones, Canadian comedian, actor, writer, and winner 2013 Winterset Award.

Susan Flanagan has worked as a freelance journalist (BJ, King’s College, NS, 1991) in St. John’s, NL for almost 30 years. Her written works have appeared in Canadian Geographic, National Geographic (maps), Canadian Running, Newfoundland Quarterly, The Hockey News, Noia News, Doctors’ Review, Atlantic Progress, Atlantic Business, Saltscapes, Labrador Life, SOAR and Mariner Magazine, among others.Susan contributed a bi-weekly column, 48 Degrees, to The Newfoundland Herald (2002-04) and a weekly column, The Kids are Alright, to The Telegram (2011-15).
She has been a Contributor on CBC Radio (St. John’s), The Point, Out Front, Radio Noon and Definitely Not The Opera (DNTO) and has worked for both NTV in St. John’s and CBC TV in Halifax and St. John’s as reporter, producer and researcher.
The Degrees of Barley Lick is her first YA novel.

Susan Flanagan's profile page