Overview

At the heart of this fictional work of survival is one of the most spectacular life cycles on earth, that of Danaus plexipus or the Monarch Butterfly. As this iconic insect's annual migration dances to the tune played by the weather, so does the North American plot alternate between the mountains of Central Mexico and rural Eastern Ontario, Canada. Two families, the Santanas and the Desjardins are brought together by their love of this tiny creature. Over the twelve months from November 2010 to November 2011, the monarchs migrate between their two countries, just as they have for millennia. More than ever, they have become a beacon of hope for all that is beautiful and fragile in our world. Like the canary in a coal mine , the monarchs hover between survival and extinction. Threatened by extreme weather, deforestation, and the degradation of their food sources, these environmental concerns make up the fabric of this book. Other threads in the story are the technologies that invade our privacy under the guise of public safety and security. Since Rachel Carson's Silent Spring , the unbridled greed and avarice of immense international agrochemical companies continue. Bent on leaving our world a toxic wasteland with all the attendant diseases, cancer strikes down the story's young protagonist, Anne Desjardins. Gone are her carefree and pastoral days of hayrides, bird's nests and clear blue skies. It will take more than just a medical breakthrough to deliver her from her health crucible and slip the surly bonds of earth . In order for Anne to survive, it will take the far more powerful forces of courage, friendship, and love to turn the tide and help to bring this tale to its hopeful conclusion. As the story ends, two young lovers share their first kiss under the Mexican stars....

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9781525540813

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Brenda Wilson spent her professional career (1972-2010) in the dual domains of teaching and librarianship at the secondary and post-secondary levels in Quebec and Ontario . During her twenty years of teaching as an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Education at McGill University, her courses included Children's Literature, Young Adult Literature, Media Production and Educational Use of Film and Television. During her tenure there, she also taught courses and produced video support materials for the Faculty's Distance Education Program . In 1991, Brenda's pioneering work was recorded in the publication, Aspects of Education by Margaret Gillett for the twenty-fifth anniversary of the McGill Faculty of Education. Always a leading-edge presenter, she was invited to travel to both national and international conferences to speak about the importance of striking a balanced use of print, audiovisual, and electronic media to positively affect learning outcomes. In her fifteen years as teacher librarian at Trafalgar School for Girls, Brenda taught Media Production and Introduction to Film and Television. Her class won a national award for the World War II documentary production entitled, Pat Moll Remembers. She also pushed the boundaries of computer technology in teaching. In the final chapter of A History of Trafalgar School for Girls by Margaret Gillett, her ground-breaking work was again documented and she received the Apple Computer Life Achievement Award for Creative Use of Computers in Libraries and Schools . As a media producer, she wrote and directed a long-running children's public television series for CFCF Cable TV in Montreal entitled, Storytime / L'heure du Conte. Her media production company in Montreal, Edinfo, produced both print and non-print media in the area of Canadian copyright . For this work she employed National Film Board Studio B, McGill University and Concordia University AV production studios. When she moved to Ontario to work at the Cornwall Public Library as head of Young Adult and Children's Services, she produced and directed an award-winning children's TV series for Cogeco Cable called, Simon's Moving Picture Show . Since most of the countryside in the late 1990s had only dialup connection to the Internet, she formed a company to aggregate demand for broadband and became a community champion for the deployment of high-speed connectivity across rural Eastern Ontario . Her not-for-profit company, the Communities of Eastern Ontario Network (CEONET), managed five million dollars in public, private partnership (P3) grants to get fibre optic cable to the door, thereby levelling the playing field for rural residents ranging from creators to farmers to hospitals to community services. After retiring, she was finally able to indulge in her great passion for writing, photography, and world travel. For over three decades, she has followed her love for the monarch butterfly to Mexico, where she spent so many winters with them. Brenda Wilson now lives and writes in the wonderful city of her birth: Montreal, Quebec, near to her dear family and friends ....

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