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.

Martha Brooks lives in Winnipeg. Her book Traveling on into the Light was named to the international 1996 IBBY Honour List and is an American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults. Two Moons in August and Paradise Caf and Other Stories were Governor General’s Award nominees; the latter also received the 1991 Boston Globe Horn Book Award for distinguished children’s fiction. When not writing, Martha can be found performing in local jazz clubs. Maureen Hunter is one of Canada’s most successful playwrights. Her work has been produced extensively on Canada’s major stages, in the United States, and Britain, and by CBC and BBC Radio. Atlantis was a finalist for the Governor General’s Award and Transit of Venus, premiered by the Manitoba Theatre Centre, became the first Canadian play ever staged by the Royal Shakespeare Company of Britain. A native of Saskatchewan, Maureen now lives on the banks of the Red River in Winnipeg.

Martha Brooks' profile page

• Winner, CLA Young Adult Canadian Book Award
• Short-listed, Ruth Schwartz Award
• Winner, Governor General's Literary Awards: Text

[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.

Montreal Gazette

...credible and heart-wrenching...The characters are so real the reader becomes a part of the story.

Today's Parent

A clear-eyed and clarifying look at power of community...

School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW

Grace, insight and transcendence are three words this book brings to mind.

Globe and Mail

...reaffirms Brooks' position as Canada's premier writer for the older adolescent...Highly recommended.

CM Magazine

Brooks has a masterful hand at description.....she shares her vision of the richness of ordinary life in all its pain and glory.

Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW

...a wonderful work of realistic fiction, truly a gem.

Kliatt

[Brooks] has created a quietly astonishing work of art....a loving tribute to the big stories in little lives.

Quill & Quire, STARRED REVIEW

...a story of the redeeming power of love, with a cast of memorable characters who will have you cheering them on...

Brandon Sun

What an excellent novel!...sad, tender, poignant, hopeful-and powerful.

Resource Links

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.

Books in Canada

...bracing, lyrical, prayerful and funny. It's an outstanding read, and not just for teenagers.

Toronto Star