The Emerald AngelA Novel by Wilma L. Derksen |
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A mysterious path through an orchard in the Emerald Valley of British Columbia attracts the attention of young Ava, who knows that her grandmother's house is at the end of the trail. Why do so many people visit Ava's grandmother with their troubles and problems? As Ava watches, her grandmother blesses the visitors with her extraordinary gifts of compassion, empathy and, most of all, listening.
"Wilma Derksen delicately weaves into one rich textured tapestry the various strands of well-told stories, snatches of church history, and meaningful parables. The result is an imaginative creation that conveys the truths about living at peace with God and humankind. Young Ava learns life's most important lessons as she observes her grandmother Olena converse with the angry, discouraged, and mistreated men and women who find the path to her home." - Katie Funk Wiebe, author of Border Crossing and Bridging the Generations
"Wilma Derksen's first novel is rich with symbolism and thought-provoking parables of healing. Through a child's eyes, we come to learn the hidden secrets, pain, and disappointments of the close-knit community at the heart of the story. And we are irresistibly drawn to the gentle ways the child's grandmother transforms those whom she encounters." - Joyce Lind, poet
About the Author
Wilma L. Derksen is director of Victims' Voice, a program of Mennonite Central Committee Canada that provides written resources for crime victims. Derksen began this work after her daughter Candace was abducted and murdered in 1984. In 2001 she received the Ron Wiebe Restorative Justice Award. Her previous books include Unsettled Weather: How Do I Forgive? (2005), Confronting the Horror: The Aftermath of Violence (2002), and Have You Seen Candace? (1991). The Emerald Angel is her first novel.