by
An unforgettable tale of a young girl who changes her life, and those around her, as she confronts bullies and false rumors with growing self-confidence.
Madeline sucked in her breath through clenched teeth. Motionless, she stared at a photo mounted on the Gillies Arena Slap Shots wall. In the old, framed photograph, seven women sat perfectly still, dressed in leg-of-mutton sleeves and full-length skirts with sashes cinched at their waists, and toques on their heads with light-coloured tassels resting on their shoulders. Each figure held a wooden hockey stick. A small, brass rectangle mounted on the glass read, “Brandon Ladies Champion Ice Hockey Team, 1899.”
***
Madeline focused again on the hockey players in the old photograph. They’d had it so easy back then: no bullies; parents didn’t divorce; and girls could play ice hockey! Why could they play hockey, and she couldn’t? It wasn’t fair that her father’s grudge against her mother should dictate Madeline’s life!
READ MORE“Someday,” she whispered, blowing a kiss to the Brandon players. She turned toward the gate entrance leading onto the ice, where Coach D was setting up a small sound system for the day’s practice.
From the portraits of the old Brandon hockey players, from the very top row, Miss Minnie Hopper stepped forward.
“Poor girl,” the woman murmured. “Hang on, Madeline. This team of champions from Brandon are advancing onto your rink, and I’m your right winger.”
She winked, pulled a lock of hair from under her cap, and positioned it in the middle of her forehead, before retreating back into the black-and-white photograph, once again motionless.
COLLAPSEOlympia Washington on South Sound Book Group wrote:"Highly recommend it to anyone who loves history and heartwarming coming-of-age stories. This is definitely a five-star read!"
“A fun romp through Winnipeg’s history from the perspective of a young girl from the past who finds herself in modern days. Her observations about the differences between the late 19th century of her youth and the present are sharp and entertaining.”
