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In Jessie...Hood-Caddy creates a satisfying, utterly believable character whose personal trials recall our own...Hood-Caddy has taken on the challenge of creating literature out of an issue of deep personal significance - and the result is a rare and engaging trek across the landscape of one woman's mind and heart." -Quill and Quire "Tree Fever is a coming-of-age story for grown-ups. Karen Hood-Caddy brings soul, body and spirit together to defend the earth. The result will touch and delight you." -Maude Barlow, The Council of Canadians The life of fiftyish Jessie Dearborn takes an unexpected turn when a ruthless developer threatens to cut down century-old trees in her small northern town in order to build a condominium. Surprising even herself, she steps in front of a chainsaw to defend the trees she loves. As the fight to save the trees intensifies, a group of gutsy, quick-witted older women joins the battle and explodes the issue into the newsmedia. At this turning point in her life, a native man helps Jessie by teaching her to trust her own instincts. Passion erupts between them and Jessie discovers a middle-aged sexuality as hot as the midday sun. Like a Group of Seven painting, Tree Fever is a love affair with nature, its wisdom, raw colours and elemental beauty. ISBN 978-0929141-53-4 / 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" / 264 pages / CDN $18.95, U.S. $14.95 |
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"This novel brings to light a deep-rooted passion for the beauty and magic of Muskoka, as well as serving as a reminder to enjoy the quieter and simpler aspects of life. Hood-Caddy introduces us to two women who find themselves reunited in this place where they lend their strengths to each other and learn valuable lessons by looking within." -The Muskokan "...may be the best novel in the history of Muskoka literature." -Muskoka Today The sequel to Tree Fever is a story of redemption and the power of belief. Tree Fever, Hood-Caddy's first novel, introduced strong, spiritual heroine Jessie Dearborn, who struggled to save an old growth stand from a ruthless developer in her small Muskoka town and found her life's meaning in the process. Flying Lessons once again finds Jessie and her small group of friends fighting those who would despoil the beauty of nature, this time the builders of a resort which will destroy the ecosystem of the lake on which she lives. Jesse must wage an exhausting uphill battle against the callousness of those who would exploit the natural world for their own gain. At the same time, Jessie finds herself unexpectedly saddled with a friend's home-based bird sanctuary, where she cares for an injured baby loon who inspires her with its will to live. But Flying Lessons is really the story of two different women as Alex, a hard-driven investment lawyer from the city, faces her own mortality and seeks a healing sanctuary at Jessie's home, where she learns to listen to her inner self again. This is another uplifting tale of personal growth and idealism by a writer with a compassionate, distinctive vision of the world. ISBN 978-0929141-80-0 / 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" / 240 pages / CDN $18.95, U.S. $14.95 |
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"The lesson of the tainted water is timely...The Wisdom of Water serves as an environmental warning and a good read." -Quill and Quire "...the book becomes quite hard to put down...Jessie's escapades with the Guerilla Grannie, a group of seniors fiercely determined to raise ecological awareness, are both comic and poignant... Hood-Caddy delivers a compelling story that taps into our love of cottage country and our ecological concerns about its future." -The Globe and Mail "...a compelling story told with insight and compassion." -The Saskatoon Star Phoenix In Karen Hood-Caddy's third inspiring novel featuring environmentalist heroine Jessie Dearborn, Jessie is concerned about the health of the water in her northern town. Harley, Jessie's Ojibway partner, declares he wants to move further north to where the real wilderness is. She is torn between her allegiance to Harley and her devotion to the land. The Guerrilla Grannies, a group of feisty seniors, start a door-to-door campaign to raise environmental awareness. Trouble erupts when Jessie and Elfy, one of the more cantankerous seniors, get into a scrap with a local hockey hero and end up getting arrested. But this is also the story of Dan Goreman, whose life is in disarray from a bitter divorce. He decides to to accept a job his father has arranged for him at a water-treatment plant near Jessie's home town. Dan falls in love with Meagan, whose family owns a resort in the area. Dan becomes very attached to Meagan's six year-old son, but she is concerned about Dan's unresolved past and asks him to see a therapist. Begrudgingly, Dan agrees and meets Jessie, who challenges him to be more truthful about his past. When the resort's sewage lagoons burst and some of the waste gets into the town's water, Dan makes a fatal mistake that could kill someone that he loves. Now Jessie has many more problems to solve in her quest to save Elfy from a jail term, help protect the lands and lakes which she loves and begin to understand the patterns in her own life. ISBN 978-0929141-09-1 / 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" / 240 pages / CDN $18.95, U.S. $14.95 |
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