Fireweed Island

Sixty-year-old Maddy marries in haste, only to discover that her new husband is an abusive narcissist. He moves Maddy away from family and friends in Vancouver, British Columbia, to Victoria, Australia, where she must now cope in a foreign country, lacking personal support or finances to sustain her. Maddy reflects back on her childhood on Fireweed Island in the 1950s and 1960s, thinking of her older sister, Erin, her father, Gordon, and her troubled mother, Florence. Anger consumes Florence because Gordon becomes ill and is no longer able to provide her with a comfortable lifestyle. After his death, the whole family seems to fall apart. Erin runs off with her boyfriend, leaving Maddy to deal with her vindictive mother. The novel races to its chilling conclusion when Maddy is forced to fight for survival against a dangerous, vengeful ex-husband in a foreign land. Fireweed Island is a story of power and vulnerability, as well as how family history can mold a person’s life.