• Age: 8 to 15
• Grade: 4 to 9
• Reading age: 8 to 15

For Paula Herman, 11 going on 12, life is pretty straightforward - until the summer her mother decides to move to Edmonton. There Paula begins to unravel the mystery of her past and things begin to get complicated. Why does her mother refuse to talk about it? What has happened to the handsome man in the photograph - the man she knows must be her father? Why is his name Popowich when hers is Herman?
The deeper Paula goes into solving the mystery, the more tangled her life becomes - until running away seems the only solution. Or is it?

Monica Hughes
A writer of international acclaim, Monica Hughes published over 35 books and many more short stories and articles during her 29-year career. She was often honored for her work; Hunter in the Dark and Keeper of the Isis Light both won the Canada Council Children's Literature Award. She was the recipient of the Vicky Metcalfe Award for a body of work, the Queen's Jubilee Medal and the Order of Canada.

Monica Hughes' profile page

Leoung O'Young's profile page

"A most touching, sensitive story."

Toronto Star