Outfitter Jack Crandall’s world falls apart when his son is killed by a bear during a hunt organized for some wealthy Americans. Grief turns to anger when he finds that his son’s death was the bear’s revenge after one of his hunters killed its cub. Just when he thought things couldn’t get any worse, Jack winds up on the receiving end of a criminal charge—for his hunter’s illegal kill.
Robbed of his only son and stripped of his outfitting licence, Jack must sell his hunting lodge and start a new life. While misfortune dogs his every step, he finds an unlikely friend in Starlight, an orphaned black bear.
When the number of bear attacks in Gros Morne National Park begins to rise at a startling rate, Jack must make a choice that could mean life or death for thousands, and the animal that has filled the void in his life will either save his soul . . . or condemn him forever.

Walter Mallery has been a hunting guide in Canada for twenty-five years. Born in Sussex, New Brunswick in 1952, he was raised on a farm, where he learned woodcraft and hunting. He has been a woodsman for forty years, during which time he has hunted trophy bears, fished in salmon and trout tournaments, and travelled and hunted in both the United States and Canada. In and around Sussex he is well known as an oral storyteller, a 4-H leader, and a member of various organizations, including the Goshen Snowmobile Association, international hunting associations, and local conservation groups. He is a certified master technician for Artic Cat and the owner of Walt's Snowmobile Shop Ltd., Walt's Guiding and Outfitting, and a hunting and game lodge. Walter Mallery lives in Springdale, New Brunswick with his wife, Betty, and Sadie, his hunting dog. He has one daughter and one granddaughter.

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