Seeing the Stars: Hope, Redemption and Resiliency

Join us for a celebration of beloved author and storyteller Jan Andrews and her posthumously released new novel, To See the Stars. The session will also feature new books by two other celebrated Ottawa authors who knew Jan well. 

Jan’s partner, Jennifer Cayley, will share the stage with Alan Cumyn, author of North to Benjamin, and Tim Wynne-Jones, whose latest is The Ruinous Sweep. The three exceptional new books for young people will be examined within the context of Jan’s unwavering conviction that we all have whatever we need inside us, not only to manage our lives but to know the ever-present possibility of joy.

To See the Stars: In her deeply-affecting final novel, 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 in 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. 

North to Benjamin: Set in Dawson City, Yukon, young Edgar is dragged north by his unstable mother. “Cumyn reaffirms the human mess that is the life many children know, and the allies in all forms that are their saving grace.  A heart thaw through and through.” – Rita Williams-Garcia

The Ruinous Sweep: Highway accidents lead to desperate acts. “The courageous, clever Bee is a revelation, and her clear-eyed approach to finding the truth and her enduring love for Donovan, along with believably quirky characters and genuinely terrifying moments, will keep readers enthralled until the bittersweet finale." -- Publisher's weekly, starred review