a ee as a mT nm ee

Rachel MacCaw’s mother leaves the family to pursue her own
career in Toronto. Her father sells the farm and takes a job as a
trucker. Unable to care for Rachel, he leaves her with great aunt
Irene, When we meet Rachel she is standing contemplating the
crumbling mansion where her aunt lives, ‘‘Nightmare on Elm

_ Street before my very eyes.”

Rachel quickly learns that her aunt shares the home with a
group of elderly people, an odd assortment of characters which .
forms a ‘family’ who take Rachel very protectively under. their

wing. Indeed, they are so protective she begins to feel smothered. |
All her life Rachel has had premonitions and been aware of other’
existences around her. When a ghost appears in her room and she .

senses the presence of a black shadow threatening her, she co-
opts a young school friend to help her get to the bottom of what

is happening in the strange home, Rachel is involved in a battle -

for control between beneficent forces and a jealous and
possessive force from the past.

‘The Guardian Circle’? works very well on several levels.. It is:

an exciting story which explores not only the obvious struggle, a:

kind of family feud, but also explores the themes of maturity and -

responsibility. Rachel’s mother, still seeking her 1970’s dream, -
abandons husband and child. Rachel’s father, afraid of the

responsibility he may have inherited in the struggle, puts to one 4

side his gifts and seeks to escape. Indeed, it is only Rachel’s

danger which saves him. The guardians become obsessive in their |

fulfilment of the responsibility for Rachel’s safety, and in so do-
ing impede her ability to function. Rachel and young Will,
despite their fear, take up their challenge, accept their respon-
sibilities — Rachel from duty, Will from affection and concern
for. his friend. OO

Margaret Buffie has followed a strong first novel, ‘“Who is
Frances Rain?’’, with a gripping, well-crafted story, one to
challenge and excite alert young readers. In Will and Rachel she
has given us strong attractive young people who deal in a human
and courageous way with the unearthly circumstances.in which
they find themselves. I trust we.will meet them again. I strongly
recommend “‘The Guardian Circle’. It is published by Kids Can
Press at $14.95.

In “Sandwriter’? Monica Hughes told the story of Antia,
Princess of Komilant and Kamalant, who is sent to Roshan, the
desert land, with a secret mission. There she meets Jodril, a
young chief of the desert, and here they both make a promise to
Saridwriter, the mysterious woman who holds the safety of
Roshan in her hands.

Now it is Jodril and Antia’s daughter’s 10th birthday. A very
special gift is brought by a young man from Roshan. It is a
carved box full of sand. Sandwriter is reminding Rania’s parents
of their promise. Their daughter must leave the luxury of the
court and join Sandwriter as her apprentice.

Rania does join Sandwriter, learning, through years of hard-

ship and contemplation, the discipline of survival in the desert,

and the secrets that will give her the power to become Sandwriter
in her turn. Still, she remembers the young man Atbin who
brought Sandwriter’s gift, and whose compassion for a frightened
little girl fashioned a clumsy dol! for the child. When some years
later Atbin and Rania meet again she is faced with a harrowing
choice. In her wisdom Sandvriter sets her free to make it.

Monica Hughes’ latest novel is a sensitive depiction of the con-
flicting pressures of duty, psychic gift, and genuine love on an in-
telligent and responsive young woman. ‘‘The Promise’’ is
published by Stoddart at $19.95.

- Terrace Health Care Society Presents

“Len Fabiano”
“Caring For The Mentally
Impaired Elderly”’

A Two Day Seminar

Mr. Fabiano is a nationally recognizea educator in the

field of geriatrics. This session is designed to examine

areas involved in caring for the mentally impaired

elderly. Participants will find this personal presenta- .
tlon provides each an opportunity to discuss and work

through personal problems encountered in caring for

this type of individual.

Everyone Welcome

Terrace Hotel

. April 30 & May 1, 1990

8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. |
Terraceview Lodge 638-0223 (Ramona)
for Registration Information i

t

Piace:
Date:
Time:
Phone:

Go west, you ng man...
to the Queen Charlottes —

““Go West, young man”’ takes
on a new meaning when your
ship sails directly into the setting.
sun, ST

by Nancy Orr

” \Bscorted by. dolphins playfal-
ly ‘dipping in-and' out; tte B.C.

Ferry’s “‘Queen of the North”

surges out into.the open water
through Eddy Pass, her bow
. gently rising. and falling in the
. ‘eternal rhythm of the sea, on her.
_thrice-weekly .journey to the

fabled Misty Isles, the Queen
Charlotte Islands. . | _

. Today the. capricious God,
. Hecate, has decided to give the

Queen a peaceful journey across .

- the unpredictable waters. of his.
‘straits which separate the Islands:
. from. the rest of Canada.

. Occasionally, (with | every.

_seventh wave, .we are told) the

bow rises higher and drops on |
the ocean with a thud and a
shudder to remind us that his is
the open sea.

It'is an hour and a half since
we left the. sheltered harbor of
Prince Rupert and traversed the
busy waters of the Inland
Passage, -the main north/south’ -
shipping route, past Porcher
Island and all its numerous pro-
tecting rocks and islets. Now we
are set for the four to five hour
trip across the open water.

In the manner of country
folks taking a train or bus to
town, the seasoned . travellers
who make this trip frequently
settle down for the journey. In
the forward lounge a movie is set
up. People drift to the comfor-
table recliners for a relaxing read
or a sleep. The news stand is
crowded with buyers and

browsers among the colorful

pamphlets and books of B.C. In
some areas, games and cards are
brought out. The cafeteria is a—
popular rendezvous. Strangers

trip is well known as a relaxing

and neighbors strike up conver-
sations. oo,

But for us, we are irresistably

drawn to the big heavy double

doors,, across the high step.
which. turns ‘back the sea in.

heavy weather, and out to face
the whipping wind on the wind-

ward side of the deck. In a few .

minutes we are driven back-
wards to the lee of the ship on

‘the afterdeck and, laughing -
- straighten clothes and hair to

watch the wake of the ship curv-.
ing to the mainland receding in
the distance and seagulls soaring
on stationary wings as though
fastened like kites to the ship. —
On one of our turns around

. the deck, as we bent our heads ta

the wind under the, bridge,. so-
meone pointed and with a thrill

we saw, in the bank of cloud or.
_fog on the horizon, the emerging -
‘shapes of a line of islands.

Gradually, as we neared the
Islands, we could make out the

low hills of the mountains of the
‘west coast, with the white snow —

patches of recent logging. And.
along the shore, the line of sand
dunes and beach stretched for
miles from the rocky southern
reaches of Skidegate Inlet where
we would land on Graham
Island, to the protective arm of
Rose Spit in the-north. |

But that protection turned out.
to be false on the day we ex-
pected to return and we saw the
Hecate Straits in another mood.

A week later, with our return
confirmation in our pocket, we
travelled along the eastern coast
of the Charlottes, headed for the
ferry dock in Skidegate. It was a
thrilling drive, with a full moon
and a high tide, the t0-foot
waves breaking against the rock
piled-between shore and road. In

voyage.

other stretches, we watched the
waves break and swirl far up the
sand and shale. Foam flew like
thistledown across the road. The
buoys marking the channels
moaned. We could hardly hold
the door open when.we stopped’
to get out, and gave up the at-
tempt when the glasses were torn
right off my companion’s face.

_ When we arrived at Skidegate
we learned that a log barge had
foundered off that same Rose

Spit. Despite the inconvenience,

we were very happy to learn that
the Ferry had been held in
Prince Rupert and would not |

' sail for 24 hours due to the

storm.

_THESIGNOFA. |

GOOD BUSINESS
“NEIGHBOR ...

THE SIGNOF
A MERCHANT
WHO CARES
ABOUT PEOPLE...
“This emblem identifles

the civic-minded
businessmen who sponsor

“etone Wig. |

in the community.

Vi — 635-5672 |
Erlinda — 635-6526
Brenda-Lee — 635-2605

__ IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE the jumping-off point to another world, but that’s what the Prince Rupert
: * harbor Is for a traveller en route to the Queen Charlotte Islands. When the sea cooperates the ferry

a bE we arm