• Age: 12 to 18
• Grade: 7 to 12

In ten stories, Budge Wilson explores the complex relationships that are the essence of life, as she did superbly - and wide critical acclaim - in The Living and The Courtship.

In The Charmer, a handsome but manipulative prodigal son creates a family breakdown. In Cordelia Clark, a new girl moves into town and kindles division and jealousies between friends who must work out their animosities when she suddenly moves away. And in Joanna and the Dark, a young woman witnesses her role model being a less-than-ideal father, and realizes that adults aren't always what they seem, nor do they have all the answers.

Contents:

1. The Charmer
2. Cordelia Clark
3. Loretta and Alexander
4. Birds, Horses and Muffins
5. Was It Fun on the Beach Today?
6. The Happy Pill
7. Just Give Me a Little More Time, Eh?
8. Dreams
9. Joanna and the Dark
10. The Listener

Budge Wilson (b. 1927) was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and lived in Kingston, Ontario, before moving back to North West Cove, Nova Scotia. A former commercial artist and photographer, she has written more than twenty books, many of them for children and young adults; her awards include the Ann Connor Brimer Award for children's literature. "Mr. Manuel Jenkins" is included in her story collecton The Leaving (Anansi, 1991).

Budge Wilson's profile page