Sixteen-year-old Gray Fallon's life is looking pretty good. His easygoing parents -- a university science professor and silkscreen artist -- are happy for him to entertain his friends in his suburban basement. A part-time job at the Cineplex, the occasional beer or joint, a smart, funny best friend, a hot new girlfriend -- things couldn't really be any better.
Then Gray's twelve-year-old science nerd sister, Maggie, is diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. Gray learns that the cancer may have environmental causes and sets out to uncover the cause and make Maggie better. His research reveals that silkscreen chemicals may be responsible for Maggie's illness. His mother's subsequent breakdown and father's anger finally drive him to quit school and seek haven at an organic farm. However, there is no escaping the reality of Maggie's illness, and the climax, written with wisdom, compassion and a complete lack of easy sentimentality, is a tour de force.
Book details
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Publisher
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Original text
Yes -
Language
English -
Publication date
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Page count
216 -
Theme
About the author
Dede Crane
Dede Crane is the critically acclaimed author of the novel Sympathy, and the the teen novel, The 25 Pains of Kennedy Baines. She is the co-editor of Great Expectations: Twenty-Four True Stories about Childbirth. Her stories have been shortlisted for the CBC Literary Awards and published in numerous literary journals. Dede is a former professional ballet dancer, teacher and choreographer. She lives in Victoria, British Columbia, with her husband, writer Bill Gaston, and their four children.
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