In her deeply-affecting final novel, acclaimed children's writer and storyteller Jan Andrews gives us Edie Murphy—an indomitable and engaging heroine on the cusp of womanhood. The novel moves from Edie's remote Newfoundland outport to St. John's and finally to New York City's Lower East Side. Against the background of the history-making "Uprising" of 1909, when 20,000 garment workers went on strike for better working conditions, and the devastating Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire (1911), Edie begins to find her own voice, hone her already-strong will, and learn about the true nature of home. A celebration of the strength of women and the power of community.

Jan Andrews lives at the end of the road on a lake in Eastern Ontario. The plants and creatures in her Orca book The Twelve Days of Summer can all be found in her backyard. She has a love for the Canadian wilderness and, when not writing, can often be found canoeing, cross-country skiing, hiking or rock climbing, depending on the season. Jan has been part of the world of Canadian children's literature for thirty years and more. Her titles include such classic picture books as Very Last First Time and The Auction. She has contributed to the Dear Canada series through her book Winter of Peril.

An accomplished storyteller with a passionate concern for oral traditions, she has produced the folktale collection Out of the Everywhere. New Tales for Canada and set down the true story of Pa's Harvest as heard from another teller. She has a new book coming out in 2007 entitled The Stories at the Door—a work of rollicking fun and humour. Jan loves to do school visits and is prepared to travel widely to remote and urban locations. She gives teacher workshops and does conference presentations. Her specialty is letting her listeners know how much she cares about them.

She is the Artistic Director for two storytelling series and the Director of Storysave, a project for recording elders from the Canadian storytelling community for CDs and audio website. Somehow, with all of this, Jan has never quite managed to get her own website organized - although she keeps trying! She can, however, be reached at jandrews@magma.ca.

Jan Andrews' profile page

Tara Bryan was a painter and book artist who designed and printed brilliant books for more than 30 years. She learned letterpress printing and bookbinding at UW-Madison, and continued taking workshops at the Center for Book Arts in NY. After moving to Newfoundland in 1992, she shared her enthusiasm and knowledge, teaching workshops and hiring assistants to work and learn in her studio.

Tara passed away at the end of September 2020, just shy of her 67th birthday. She left behind her a remarkable body of work, as well as a host of printers and artists whom she mentored and encouraged.

Tara Bryan's profile page

"Jan Andrews' To See the Stars powerfully evokes the voice of Edie Murphy, a young girl from a Newfoundland outport whose journey brings her from her isolated fishing village to the bustling streets and factories of New York City. The world of the early 20th century—in New York, in St. John's, and in the tiny village of Atterby—is beautifully depicted, and Edie emerges as a resilient and engaging heroine."

Trudy Morgan-Cole, author of By the Rivers of Brooklyn, and Most Anything You Please

"Those who appreciate character-driven stories will enjoy the feeling of watching history in action."

"Thoughtful, eloquently told and intensely moving, this is a book to be savoured."

Lisa DOucet

"To See the Stars celebrates strength in the face of adversity with a character that readers will applaud."

Karen Krossing

"To See the Stars is at once tough and tender and utterly unforgettable."

Jeffrey Canton