• Age: 0
• Grade: p to 12
• Reading age: 0

When a flood kills eleven-year-old Andy Flynn's mother and stepfather, the only world he has ever known is gone and he is alone. Aunt Mona, whom he has never met, takes him to live with her in Halifax, on the opposite side of the country. During the flight, Aunt Mona tells him harshly that his father was not a war hero killed in battle, as Andy's mother led him to believe, but a no-good thief and drunk who is very much alive in Halifax. Andy is stunned, and as soon as they reach their destination, he runs away from his aunt to find his father.

James Heneghan's remarkable gift for storytelling shines as strongly as ever in this moving and funny tale.

A former fingerprint specialist with the Vancouver Police Department, James Heneghan has won numerous awards for his books for young readers, including the Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Award three times for Flood, Wish Me Luck and The Grave. James lives in North Vancouver, British Columbia.www.jamesheneghan.com
School visits, author readings, adults & children, by arrangement.

James Heneghan's profile page

• Winner, Chocolate Lily Award
• Long-listed, Red Cedar Book Award
• Long-listed, OLA Red Maple Award

[A] emotionally authentic portrayal of a boy trying to cope with a loving but incompetent parent...

VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates)

...a great read...Be sure to check it out.

Resource Links

Well written, with interesting, sympathetic characters, and not an atom of preachiness, 'filled with humour and mischief,' this is a first-class story of a boy needing a home. Not to be missed.

New Brunswick Reader

...as near flawless as a book can be...Heneghan's an amazing writer who should be known everywhere.

Guardian

...[a] powerful provocative novel...

Books in Canada

This is an excellent novel...Highly recommended.

CM Magazine