Title: Willa’s New World
Author: Barbara Demers
Publisher: Coteau Book
Age Range: Young Adult (11+)
Time Period: 1795
Location: York Factory, Hudson Bay
“Willa is a fifteen year-old orphan shipped by an uncaring uncle to York Factory, on Hudson Bay, in 1795. Can she survive the hardships of the fort and its many rough characters? And can she adapt to the genuinely ‘new’ world she see on her journey to Fort Edmonton with her First Peoples companions?”
I love when a book reaches out and grabs you – so that you just can’t put it down and HAVE to keep reading to find out what happens to the characters. This is one of those books.
The book starts by introducing us to the character of Willa – a bewildered, young British girl whose family are all dead from illness – as her uncle bribes a sailor to smuggle her via cargo ship to Canada. After being stuffed in the hold with the animals for the journey, she steps out into a wild and savage land, with no idea what awaits her next.
Her new life gives us a glimpse at what it would have been like in early Canada, amongst the fur trade, vicious winters, and inter-racial tensions of Europeans and First Nations peoples. I love how the author shows the stark contrast between the cultures of both the white settlers and that of their native counterparts. It deals with the darker side too – stealing, violence, racism, and unwanted advances, without unnecessary detail while still making them understandable.
My only complaint is that the story seems unfinished, like it is cut off before everything is resolved. This lead me to search if there was a sequel which, sadly, there is not. I’m left to dream up my own ending for each of the characters I’d grown to love.
I would consider this book to be definitely intended for the older set of kids. The writing style is not at all juvenile, very descriptive, and handles a lot of potentially challenging experiences. I think there is a lot of things to talk about in this book. Superbly written and thoroughly enjoyable.
Although this publisher is no longer in business, you could look for their books at your library or second hand.
I was sent a copy of this book to read and review.
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