• Age: 9 to 12
• Grade: 4 to 7
• Reading age: 9 to 12

An aspiring yet practical author, Ellen Fremedon decides to start a newspaper. Ellen is intrepid, especially when it comes to investigative reporting. Is the new neighbor sinister, as village gossips suspect, or merely secretive? Is the Fremedon's new housekeeper really the upstanding community member she appears to be? Even members of Ellen's own family fall under suspicion.

Joan Givner was born in Manchester, England, in 1936. After studying at London University and Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, she began teaching at the Unviersity of Regina in 1965; later she edited the Wascana Review. She has published biographies of Katherine Anne Porter (1982) and Mazo de la Roche (1989) and two collections of stories, most recently Scenes from Provincial Life (1991). "Elizabeth," a prize winner in the 1991 CBC Canadian Literary Awards, was published in a Joan Givner Special Issue of Room of One's Own in 1992.

Joan Givner's profile page

• Commended, CCBC Our Choice
• Long-listed, SYRCA Diamond Willow Award

The story is unique and includes elements of mystery, comedy and serious fiction.

CM Magazine

...the story rollicks along, never predictable, comfortably old-fashioned in some ways, sometimes a spoof...Delightful.

Toronto Star

[A] quick paced yarn about small-town happenings and her take on an appealing group of characters.

Brandon Sun

Ellen Fremedon: Journalist

This reviewer became an enthusiastic Ellen fan on reading Ellen Fremedon when it appeared in 2004. Givner tells Ellen’s story in a direct and easily readable style while subtly presenting us with complex ideas and emotions. This sequel lives up to expectations. Ellen abandons book writing for newspapers – intending to create a publication that will differ from others by being accurate and honest. The cast of intriguing characters in Partridge Cove offers lots of material but also numerous problems and the mysterious woman next door gives both Ellen and the reader an intriguing picture of a writer’s life.

Ellen Fremedon: Journalist

Ellen learns that being a reporter in a tiny village has pitfalls, especially when it comes time to investigate the mysterious stranger next door. A sequel to the popular Ellen Fremedon.