Gold Cup Girl is the story of the heartbreak of love, loss and grief—and celebrates the power to overcome. Set in the iconic Charlottetown Driving Park when harness racing was king, author Lynn MacNeill describes an era where a patriarchal culture taught men to take what they wanted, with or without consent. Through childhood trauma that included the loss of both parents, Lynn struggles to withstand the impacts of alcoholism, family bitterness and uncertainty. Protecting her children as she lives in fear of predators and the darkness of addiction around her, Lynn must reckon with a domestic justice system that fails to adequately support and empower her.

Gold Cup Girl illustrates the healing power of friendship, commitment and trust—and reveals the birth of the Circles of Safety and Support model, an approach that represents a paradigm shift in the landscape of gender-based violence.

The Circle of Safety and Support, founded by MacNeill, brings people together to make a safety plan for a woman who is worried about her safety when there has been family violence. It involves trained facilitators who prepare and lead the Circles by activating all community members needed to help the woman feel supported. Often these Circles involve police, victim services, probation, mental health or addiction staff, family, friends, or employers.

Lynn MacNeill's profile page

Jane Ledwell has been awarded local and regional prizes and grants for her prose and poetry, notably first prize for both prose and poetry in the Atlantic Writing Awards in 2001. Her work has been broadcast on CBC Radio, most recently as part of the CBC Poetry Face-Off 2005, and has been published in journals such as blueSHIFT and anthologies such as Landmarks and A Bountiful Harvest. Her book of poetry, Last Tomato was published by Acorn Press in 2005.

Jane Ledwell's profile page