In June of 1982 a group of high school students in the town of Lee re-enact the previous summer's glitzy royal wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana. Organized by their teachers, the group receives extensive coverage in the town newspaper and the school yearbook.
In this set of twelve linked short stories, each of the participants in the "Wedding of the Century" seeks out his or her own truth in the years that follow. We learn about the network of love, fear and intrigue that bind young people who shared this fairy-tale event. And we learn about the real-life demons they subsequently confront, the advantages they celebrate, the disadvantages they endure, and the temptations they face. For Tish, life is never the same after the tragic death of her best ex-friend Alex. Derek, the mock wedding's prince, ends up as a hockey star while Jewel, Diana in the mock wedding, has her own romance to play out with tougher consequences. And Naylor, who had the second-banana role of Prince Edward, meets up with an extraordinary stranger whose flight to freedom lifts Naylor from a hum-drum existence. The last word comes from the wry voice of Ginger - always the outsider - who snapped the mock royal photograph and who, years later, contemplates the lives of her one-time classmates from the vantage of the Lee town cemetery.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Wendy A. Lewis is a Red Deer Press author.
While Lewis chooses a tenuous premise for her novel (an Anglophiliac geography teacher's staging of a reenactment of Princess Diana's nuptials), the characters are sympathetic. Set mostly in Canada, the book is broken into a series of stories, each narrated by one of the "mock royal wedding" participants. High school students who took part in the wedding narrate the first half, set in 1983, while the second half takes place 10 years later, with narrators who were preschool participants. Each character struggles with his or her challenges: Jewel has had a baby, and must deal with her mother's disapproval, and Kevin is watching his sister battle cancer. Ginger, who narrates the prologue and final chapter, set in 1999 (the reason for all these different dates is never made clear), was nicknamed the "Graveyard Girl" in high school because she slept with boys in the cemetery. Even as an adult, she is haunted by memories of her dark childhood, and mourns the loss of her own first love. Several of the characters manage their crises with supernatural assistance; for example, the new girl who tells Kevin that his sister will be okay may be an angel. Some readers may have a hard time understanding the mock royal wedding's significance or find some of the supernatural elements jarring or clich?d. However, those who make the leap will appreciate the tender moments, such as when Jewel's mother finds her daughter dancing with her baby, and embraces them both. Ages 12-up. (Feb.)
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Shipping:
US$ 4.99
Within U.S.A.
Seller: Montclair Book Center, Montclair, NJ, U.S.A.
Trade Paperback. Condition: USED Good. Seller Inventory # 308152
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Irish Booksellers, Portland, ME, U.S.A.
Condition: Good. SHIPS FROM USA. Used books have different signs of use and do not include supplemental materials such as CDs, Dvds, Access Codes, charts or any other extra material. All used books might have various degrees of writing, highliting and wear and tear and possibly be an ex-library with the usual stickers and stamps. Dust Jackets are not guaranteed and when still present, they will have various degrees of tear and damage. All images are Stock Photos, not of the actual item. book. Seller Inventory # 50-0889952027-G
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Irish Booksellers, Portland, ME, U.S.A.
Condition: Good. SHIPS FROM USA. Used books have different signs of use and do not include supplemental materials such as CDs, Dvds, Access Codes, charts or any other extra material. All used books might have various degrees of writing, highliting and wear and tear and possibly be an ex-library with the usual stickers and stamps. Dust Jackets are not guaranteed and when still present, they will have various degrees of tear and damage. All images are Stock Photos, not of the actual item. book. Seller Inventory # 38-0889952027-G
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: All-Ways Fiction, DAYTON, NV, U.S.A.
Trade Paperback. Condition: Near Fine. First Edition. SIGNED by the AUTHOR on the Half-Title page.Signature only A First edition, First printing. Book is in Near Fine condition. Boards are clean, not bumped. Fore edges have a tiny bit of shelf wear. Interior is clean and legible. Not remaindered. Thanks and Enjoy. All-ways well boxed, All-ways fast service. Thanks. Signed by Author(s). Book. Seller Inventory # 024217
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: High Park Books, Kitchener, ON, Canada
Soft cover. Condition: Near Fine. First Edition. Ontario-based author's first collection for teens. 190pp. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. Tiny crease to one corner of cover. Seller Inventory # 002821
Quantity: 1 available