Add to all of this is a real concern that Tom may have encountered poachers and come to grief at their hands.

5) Undoubtedly, Susan's concern is well intentioned, but Tala sees it as 'snooping', and a visit from Officer Scott (a child welfare officer checking into Tom's absence from his children) furthers her annoyance. Their mother, Anjij, died in an accident two years ago, and Susan, their neighbour and mother's friend, has 'made it her mission since then to always check up on them.' (p.

Tom is a very responsible man, both to his family and his clients, and it is worrisome for him not to have connected with his children, just to check in at the end of the day. As the story begins, it is August, and Tala is eagerly anticipating starting high school in three weeks, and she's counting the days until her thirteenth birthday. Soon to be 13-year old Tala and her eight-year old brother Dason live in the Gaspé Peninsula, where their father, Tom, is known as 'the best wilderness guide' (p. Whatever the reason, it just wasn't like him to not check in on her and Dason. Maybe he forgot to charge his cell phone again, or maybe it was simply turned off. He hadn't picked up any of her text messages, either - not that he could when he was in the woods - but he might pick up signals if he was on higher ground next to the mountain. When she checked his bedroom first thing this morning his blankets were still in the same heap on the floor. She'd fallen asleep on the couch waiting for him to come home. He usually finished conducting his wilderness expeditions about mid afternoon and was home in time to fix supper. It sure didn't help that Susan's kitchen window looked straight into theirs, and that her son Josh was Dason's best friend.Ĭar tires crunched the loose gravel on their driveway.

Tala counted the days until her 13th birthday next month soon, there would be no more nagging from Susan, or anyone else who figured they had a right to tell her what to do.

Culloo by Murielle Cyr