One summer in Whitney Pier

A nostalgic picture book set in the diverse Cape Breton community of Whitney Pier from the duo behind Mayann’s Train Ride, written by Nova Scotia’s first Black lieutenant-governor.

School is out for the summer, but eleven-year-old Mayann Francis doesn’t have much to look forward to. Her two best friends, Eunice and Betty, will be away and her older sister won’t let her play on her baseball team, the Hankard Street Crew.

But Mayann’s parents won’t let her feel sorry for herself. They remind her how much she loves to help them cook traditional Caribbean foods. Coo-coo with corn meal, souse made from pig feet, oxtail, fishcake, johnnycake, sugar cake with coconut! Her mother also teaches her embroidery—and it’s while stitching a project and watching the HSC play that she gets a great idea that will bring the whole community together, and may just save her summer in the process.

One Summer in Whitney Pier is a love letter to the diverse Cape Breton community the Honourable Mayann Francis calls home, and a celebration of breaking bread with your neighbours. Featuring bold, colourful artwork by artist Tamara Thiebaux-Heikalo.