
In the dead-end Canadian town of Bleak Landing, twelve-year-old Irish immigrant Bridget O’Sullivan lives in a ramshackle house and dreams of another life, even as the Great Depression rages. Routinely beaten by her father and bullied by schoolmate Victor Harrison, the waifish yet fiery redhead vows to run away and never return. Just a few short years later, run she does—fleeing the unspeakable repercussions of her father’s gambling. In Winnipeg, Bridget lands a job at a garment factory, the first step on her journey to shed her past and begin anew. When her father dies, Bridget—now a striking and accomplished woman—returns home to claim her inheritance. But she has no identification to prove her stake, and no one in town recognizes her—except Victor, who has become a pastor and a candidate for town mayor. Though war has wounded him, his secret affection for Bridget remains, and now he’s the only one who can help her prove her integrity. But can he also prove he’s a changed man worthy of her forgiveness? As Victor preaches of freedom in faith, will his words spark Bridget’s once-hopeless heart and lead her to the life she’s been seeking?
Author

Terrie Todd's debut novel, The Silver Suitcase, won the 2017 Word Guild award for Historical Fiction. Her second, Maggie's War, won the same award for 2018 while her third, Bleak Landing, was a finalist. In 2018, she was awarded the Janette Oke Award by Inscribe Christian Writers Fellowship. She has published eight stories with Chicken Soup for the Soul, two full-length plays with Eldridge Plays and Musicals, and writes a weekly faith and humor column for her hometown paper. 135 of the most popular columns are found in Terrie's first nonfiction book, Out of My Mind: A Decade of Faith and Humour. Her fourth novel, Rose Among Thornes, released in August, 2021 and her fifth, The Last Piece. in November, 2021. After 20 years leading a church drama team, Terrie worked part-time as an Administrative Assistant at City Hall. Recently retired, she lives with her husband, Jon, on the Canadian prairies where they raised three children and where her novels are set. Over the years, Terrie has pursued acting, vegan cooking, and playing the saxophone, all with mixed reviews. You can catch up with her latest escapades at www.terrietodd.blogspot.com