A collection of short stories, this book features a narrative that, while unified by a dark theme, is diverse and surprisingly optimistic. The voices that recount the stories differ significantly, yet all resonate with the clarity of unmistakable truth. Avoiding the kind of graphic violence inherent in dealing with a topic like bullying, this compilation favors qualities such as courage and fortitude, sometimes displayed in the face of intimidating odds. Detailed and compassionate, it even manages to find humor as it tackles this otherwise sinister topic.

Nick Fonda has worked as a lumberjack (hauling logs with horses not skidders), farmer, carpenter, restauranteur and raconteur and squeezed in a career as a teacher, both in the UK and Canada. Based in Richmond, Quebec, he presides the Richmond County Historical Society and contributes regularly to The Record, The Townships Outlet and the Quebec Heritage News.

Nick Fonda's profile page

"Tells the truth about school through these eclectic stories about the complicated lives of both students and educators, and a system that often purports to be about doing good, and ends up being something else entirely. Fonda's child characters are well-drawn, coming to life on the page with intelligence and imagination."  “Zoe Whittall, prize-winning poet and novelist, The Middle Ground

"This quick, engaging read highlights the 'sudden visceral reaction' that warns students as they meet a bully. Clearly written, these stories will help teachers, parents, and students to recognize the bullying experience but can be appreciated by all and should attract a general Audience. Recommended." “Library Journal (August 15, 2011)

"Readers will be lulled by [Fonda's] perfectly crafted, streamlined prose, while images of cruelty and betrayal sneak up in surprise. . . . His poet's ear brings a delicate lightness to his work that contrasts wonderfully with the dark subject matter. . . . It's not the setting or even the events in these stories that make readers shudder, it's the familiarity of the characters under attack. . . . Fonda manages to get to the heart of a social problem in an entertaining, thought-provoking book that is both a pleasure to read and a call to awareness." “Foreword Reviews (September 2011)

"A writer to keep an eye on. . . . Funny, poignant, and always insightful, in a collection that cannot fail to captivate and earn him many new fans. . . . Nick Fonda has those most elusive of writerly qualities which simply cannot be taught: a keen eye for recording events around him, and a distinctive voice." —Jim Napier, The Sherbrooke Record (September 2011)

"Some stories deal with the 'different' child's place within a rigid, unyielding system. Nick Fonda has a great sense of compassion. Sometimes he inhabits the persona of the 'trapped' child, sometimes the equally 'trapped' adult. . . . These stories are memorable for what they say and for what they suggest. We are made better, as individuals, for listening to Nick Fonda's voices. This is a fine collection." “Alistair MacLeod, winner of the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award

"Narrated by outcast youths or adults whose current circumstances trigger memories, these stories explore how victims learn to assert themselves or let bygones pass in the face of bullies with unclear motives. . . . Despite the unfairness his characters face, they largely persevere." —Publishers Weekly (December 1, 2011)