Book excerpt: Before her plane even touches down in Newfoundland, Cheryl is already plotting her escape. She knows life on this rock will be no better than it was in the other places she’s been forced to live ever since her parents launched their cross-Canada tour. The unwilling spectator of her father’s morbid fascination with “dying cultures,” Cheryl has seen more than her fair share of towns so depressing they could haunt your dreams. His decision to study the defunct fishing industry in St. John’s is Cheryl’s breaking point—this city girl is more determined than ever to get back to the concrete, the buzz, and the bright lights of Montreal. Will Cheryl’s cold, goth exterior and her refusal to embrace a new life cut her off from those who love her?