Page 20 - Trillium Book Awards 2021, ONTARIO CREATES

Trillium Book Award for Children’s Literature
Finalist
Micheline Marchand
Perdue au bord de la baie d’Hudson
Éditions David
Franco-Ontarian Métis teenager Zoé doesn’t feel comfortable in her own skin. To face her demons
and overcome the guilt tormenting her, she runs away and takes refuge with her cousin Christophe in Churchill in northern Manitoba. In that glacial environment with captivating landscapes and wilderness inhabited by polar bears, she discovers herself. Accompanied by her friend Ludo, a young Belgian who is also staying there, she soaks up the rich history of Churchill and Thanadelthur, that young 18th century heroine who risked her life to negotiate peace between the Chipewyan and the Cree.
In this work, Micheline Marchand adroitly broaches the sensitive subject of self-harm in a touching story in which friendship, resiliency and the solidarity of the inhabitants of the Canadian North lead a young girl toward self-acceptance.
Micheline Marchand lives in Lafontaine, the village of her birth, which is 160 km north of Toronto. Passionate about history, both minor and major, she has published novels for young people, a collection of short stories and historic works. She has also created educational documents. Perdue au bord de la baie d’Hudson is her first book with Éditions David.
Jury Comment: Micheline Marchand knows her young readers and understands that, above all, they’re highly intelligent. Perdue au bord de la baie d’Hudson is an original novel in which she dares to gamble by approaching difficult and even taboo themes that are rarely explored in youth literature. However, with Marchand’s refinement and sensitivity, her bet pays off. We sense here a young author in full control of her art who entertains, informs and pushes readers to reflect. Besides getting us to discover unknown places like the Far North, Perdue au bord de la baie d’Hudson accurately describes the double challenge of adolescence: accepting oneself and loving oneself.
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