About the Book
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?
Reviews
“As luminous and multi-hued as the splendour of the northern lights, Rebecca Hendry’s novel brings Yellowknife of the seventies vividly to life—a fascinating backdrop to a compelling family saga.” —Hal Wake, former artistic director, Vancouver Writers Festival
“There is a subtle brilliance to the balance Rebecca Hendry achieves as her protagonist, the endearing Delilah, struggles to come of age within the colliding unknowns of a cold Northern landscape, the complexities of her parents’ mid-seventies, post-hippie marriage and community, and the awakening of her own desire for comprehension and connection.” —Joe Denham, author of Regeneration Machine
“A completely engrossing story, a study of characters who have been, in some cases, abandoned by society . . . It’s a microcosm of life on the fringe of an isolated town.” —Coast Reporter
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