The Wanigan

To save his family, a logger goes down the river—and brings along his wife and daughter

When Annabel’s father sells their house in Detroit, she is thrilled by the idea of life on a farm. But when they reach their little plot of land, she sees that her daddy has been swindled. The rocky ground is hard and unforgiving, and nothing will grow there. Ruined, her father has no choice but to take the only job he can find: chopping down trees in the lush Michigan forest. For Annabel, life in the camp is dreary—but it is about to get a whole lot worse.

When her father is chosen to accompany the year’s load of logs as it floats down the river, Annabel and her mother take up residence in the wanigan, the floating cookshack that follows the men. This rough-hewn one-room cabin will house them for three months. As uncomfortable as it is, Annabel learns that sometimes, a river can be a home.

“[Annabel is] an immensely likable and fully realized character, one with whom readers will readily sympathize.” —Publishers Weekly

“A romantic adventure in the best tradition by a master of such stories.” —School Library Journal on Parade of Shadows

“Whelan has crafted yet another fine work of historical fiction with a likable and strong-willed heroine.” —Kirkus Reviews on Parade of Shadows

Gloria Whelan is a poet, short story writer, and novelist best known for her children’s and young adult fiction. Whelan has been writing since childhood and was the editor of her high school newspaper. Many of her books are set in Michigan, but she also writes about faraway places based on her travels abroad. In 2000 she won the National Book Award for her young adult novel Homeless Bird. Her other works have earned places among the American Library Association’s Best Books for Young Adults, the International Reading Association’s Teachers’ Choices and Children’s Choices, Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People, and Los Angeles’ 100 Best Books. Whelan has also received the Mark Twain Award and the O. Henry Award. She lives in Detroit, Michigan