How the Story Began

The idea for The Saltbox Sweater came to me because I lived in Newfoundland when so many people had to move away. My daughter was about 11 at the time, and the kids at her school were keeping track of which parents had jobs that might disappear, and who might have to leave. My daughter was afraid that there might not be anyone living in Newfoundland by the time she had children of her own.

One of my friends had grown up in a very small outport, and the house that she lived in was torn down when her brother realized that no one lived near enough to keep the house in good shape. This really upset my friend, and that gave me the idea for the opening chapter of the book.

The Saltbox Sweater was originally a short story published in an anthology, Cornerstones 5B, by Gage Educational Publishing Company in 1999. The idea stayed with me after this five-page story was published, and I decided to give it a book of its own.
 

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