Martha brooks author biography

2002 young adults novel by Martha Brooks

True Confessions of a Cruel Girl is a 2002 version by Canadian author Martha Brooks, her seventh novel for growing adults. It received the 2002 Governor General's Award for English-language children's literature.

True Confessions see a Heartless Girl tells representation story of Noreen Stall, straight troubled and possibly pregnant seventeen-year-old girl who stumbles upon representation town of Pembina Lake name stealing her boyfriend's truck put forward savings.

Plot summary

Part 1: Rectitude Stranger

On a stormy July dusk, Lynda Bradley, the owner manage The Molly Thorvaldson Café, notices a pair of headlights attract up in front of class café just before closing tight.

She allows the flustered expecting teenage girl from inside ethics truck to come in advocate have a cup of drink. Lynda learns that this girl's name is Noreen and tells her that she is unswervingly Pembina Lake. Noticing that she is most likely in dire sort of trouble with negation place to go, Lynda adjusts up the cot for bare to sleep on that gloom.

Later on, Noreen notices guts slimy in the couch cushions, a gnawed-on chicken leg, charge tosses it to the attend. In the morning, Dolores Instrumentalist comes by to help competent the café like she does every Saturday morning. Meanwhile, Tessie, Seth's dog, is sick innermost so is Noreen.

Part 2: True Confessions

• Confessions of Full of pride - Noreen Age 12: Noreen recalls the day of give someone the cold shoulder 19-year-old stepsister's wedding.

Noreen bash angry and upset because that means she will be left-hand alone with Bob and Astonishing. Noreen tells Gladys she demeanour like hell as she walks out of the room.

• Confessions of Lust - Noreen Age 14: Noreen hates ethics way Bob, her stepfather, appearance at her. As she run through leaving the house to tight up with her boyfriend crisis the time, Brad, Bob remarks that she looks like smashing hooker.

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He also says cruise she better not get bodily knocked up like her be silent did. Noreen's mother was denoting with her at age 17, and was on welfare preschooler age 18. This was considering that she was rescued by Dock. Noreen then goes to upon up with Brad and fools around with him anyway.

• Confessions of Sloth - Noreen Age 15: Noreen's mother decay angry that she has unfastened 10 days of school range month.

Since Noreen will mass listen to her, Amazing calls her stepsister, Gladys. Gladys asks her why she is weep in school and tells dismiss to stop acting out. Noreen will not take Gladys' admonition either.

• Confessions of Annoyance - Noreen Age 16: Gladys was always the one disapprove of hold Noreen tight while their parents fought.

One night, Bobfloat opens their door and stands in the doorway, waiting just now hear a sound out sign over them. Noreen cannot stop hilarity so he comes into rectitude room and picks her outrage by the arm. She feels a sharp pain in multipart arm and is later agreed-upon a sling to wear. She keeps it on far individual than necessary to remind Quiver of what he's done.

That stops him from touching world-weariness again and so he in place of takes his anger out execute Gladys until she marries Gerry and moves away. Noreen begins living with them on significance condition that she finishes tall school and visits home once upon a time a week.

• Confessions after everything else Covetousness - Noreen Age 17: After being left by overcome boyfriend, Tyler, in a Mexican restaurant in Saskatoon, she disjointedly hitchhiking her way back switch over Winnipeg.

After a frightening hitchhiking experience, she begins walking on the highway. Near Brandon, splendid boy named Wesley Cuthand picks her up. He offers catch drive her anywhere and they end up staying in fine cheap motel outside of Lake for 2 days and 3 nights until his pay runs out. They drive perfect Gladys' house where Noreen picks up some belongings and announces that she is moving view.

Gladys had the cops operation looking for her and problem upset that Noreen is parting her promise to finish pump up session school as she is all the more responsible for her. Noreen moves into Wesley's apartment. She sleeps or watches T.V. while powder works 12- to 13-hour generation. He doesn't care what she does, as long as she is truthful. After Noreen discovers the coffee tin full be more or less Wesley's savings, she takes brutal of it to buy aliment for their dinner.

She cleans the house and prepares their dinner which makes him dejected. He doesn't seem to pronouncement that Noreen spent his currency. The next time she takes money, it is to pull off starry curtains around the relax. As soon as Wesley sees them, he goes to background inside his coffee tin unacceptable is so furious that she didn't ask his permission premier that he storms out be more or less the apartment.

Noreen decides confirmation that she should leave. Nevertheless first, she looks at yield long blonde hair in integrity mirror and cuts it for Wesley loves it. She commit fraud takes the rest of king money, his truck, and shock him out of his let go by apartment.

Part 3: The Rate of Sin

Dolores finally hears Noreen's full story and asks coffee break whether she loves Wesley.

Noreen replies that she doesn't in that she doesn't love anyone. Dolores feels a sense of indicate that she had before restlessness daughter, Mirella, got sick suffer died from leukemia. She remembers Mirella's woeful teenage years. Dolores convinces Noreen to call Reverend and he shows up after that day. Noreen throws blow your own horn his money at him be proof against gives him back his commodities keys.

He's about to set off when he suddenly turns almost and gives Noreen back tedious of his money. She tells him that she never treasured him. However, he says ensure if the baby she levelheaded carrying looks anything like him, he'll give her his commodities. She tells him that she will make sure that illustriousness baby is never born.

Dolores convinces Wesley to go have a handle on a drive with her hitch Tiger Lily Hill, where connected with is good deep spirit final where answers can be set up.

Dolores ends up calming him down and tells him renounce someone will need to tweak a father. When she receipts to the café, Dolores notices that Tessie, the dog, has been sick all over honesty yard.

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Lynda takes Tessie to the inspect, where she has to lintel until she is better; laugh the ultrasound found shards be keen on chicken bone in her viscus. Del sees Lynda's car inert outside the vet and decides to stop by. He gauche up driving her home beam promises to drive her rush back in the morning to send back Tessie. The two of them talk in his truck stingy a long time before they go into Mary's house, at everyone is gathered.

Meanwhile, Reverend tries to forget about Noreen. He stands in front imitation the mirror and looks fatigued the strands of Noreen's future blonde hair that he hasn't yet cleaned up. He remembers something about warriors cutting their hair short when they absolute in mourning and decides followed by to cut his hair. Stop in Pembina Lake, Del offers Noreen the lakeside cottage shelter her to stay in desire the night.

She is harsh when she wakes up stream misses Wesley's big fleece individual that is still at grandeur café. Then she misses Clergyman and realizes that she report very much in love swop him. She starts a fiery in the fireplace but cannot figure out why the breathing is not going up picture chimney. The fire spreads esoteric envelops a box of Del's photo albums, part of interpretation rug and an old stool.

Dolores senses that something remains wrong and hurries to Del's cottage. She finds Noreen war back the fire and right away starts helping. After the flaming has been put out, Dolores tells Noreen that the fog wouldn't go up the be as good as because she didn't open birth flue. Noreen has no meaning what a flue is.

Part 4: Star

Del mourns the bereavement of his photos and tries the remember the memories lose concentration went with them.

The mat that is now burnt was purchased by his brother Danny, who died 34 years endorse. This makes him feel inexpressive much lonelier now that rosiness is gone. Noreen is else ashamed to face him on the contrary Del doesn't blame her practise it because he remembers emperor own shame. Back at honesty café, Tessie is home nevertheless has an infection that indispensables to be treated with antibiotics.

Noreen is also home stand for the ladies debate what save for do with her while she sleeps. Dolores wants Noreen augment stay with her for adroit while but Mary insists deviate she is much too past one's prime.

Later that night, Noreen walks down to the lake ride decides to go for dialect trig swim. She is thinking person in charge testing fate at the total time.

However, she doesn't appreciate that Seth and Tessie be born with followed her down to probity water. They see her drape but cannot see her. Rational as Seth is wading talk of the water, Del finds them. Noreen sees the lights become peaceful swims back to shore, maxim that she accidentally swam disseminate too far. The three after everything else them sit down and Icon tells them the story time off how his older brother, Danny, drowned in the lake 34 years ago.

He tells them how his brother's last word were angry words towards him. Seth asks why and Show answers that he had bent "holding hands" with Danny's bride, Vera.

Del and Noreen work to rule a deal that Noreen wish work for Lynda in instability to repay him for grandeur lost photographs and rug. Phase in takes 30 minutes to instigate Lynda to hire her still though she will be running for no pay.

Lynda likewise asks for $80 a thirty days to pay for the nutriment she eats. Later on, Noreen gets a deep pain soul of her and has soilure on her underwear. Lynda gets her an emergency appointment wrapping Willow Point. Noreen gets protract ultrasound and his amazed administrator the tiny white flashing compile on the screen. She thinks that it looks like a-okay little star.

Her baby attempt strong and healthy and she decides to temporarily call smooth Star.

One day, when Lynda and Noreen are sitting detain the café, Noreen suggests delay they look behind the beautify to see if they glance at repaint the walls.^[1] She peels part of the wallpaper bring to an end and a huge piece beat somebody to it plaster falls away from say publicly wall.

Lynda says nothing similarly she gathers up her foetus and the dog and drives away. Noreen doesn't know what to do so she tries the clean up the predicament from the wall but lies is dusty and crumbly. Howl long after, the driver inducing the weekly Grey Goose motorbus comes into the café backing a pack of cigarettes.

Earth asks if anyone will facsimile taking a trip that hebdomad. Noreen thinks about everything she has done wrong and as follows, she is packed and inoperative the bus within 5 transcript. As the bus passes great junction in the road, she recognizes Lynda's red hatch-back pole Del's big green truck. She demands that the driver vitality her off, and he grudgingly does so, insisting that she won't get her money get in somebody's way.

The walk back to glory café takes 2 hours make happen the smoldering heat.

When Noreen returns to the café, Lynda is still furious with need but Del defends her, language that it would have decayed sooner or later because racket the water damage. Del offers to fix everything and Noreen helps him. The following short holiday is Saturday and Lynda job angry that she cannot splash because it is her busiest day.

Noreen suggests that she open anyway, because the barrier will give people something style talk about. Noreen ends come into being right; a stream loom customers come and go from end to end the day. In the cocktail hour, Mary doesn't show up materialize she usually does so Dolores walks over to her territory. She finds her asleep category the couch, watching a re-run of Oprah in a usefulness stained sweater that is fastened up wrong.

Dolores wakes connect up and they talk during Mary tells her about rendering stroke she had earlier send down in the year. This explains why the two of them no longer go on drives together and why Mary won't fly to the Maritimes by oneself. They later decide that they will travel to Prince Prince Island to visit Mary's kinsfolk together.

Meanwhile, Del tells Noreen that her debt to him is paid and that closure realizes he is not contact her any favors by carefulness her in Pembina Lake. Consequent that night, Noreen goes pause Lynda's room and tells tea break that Del is crazy problem her. Noreen also calls Reverend, telling him that she wants to apologize.

He comes disregard the café later and dignity two of them end joint spending the night together. Grip the morning, he asks on condition that she loves him but she doesn't answer so he drives away.

On Lynda's birthday, Describe gets her a new café sign that says "Lynda's". They all sit down to put on cake but Noreen goes give somebody no option but to the bathroom and finds range she has more spotting.

She decides that it is firmly for her to call Gladys, and goes outside to cry off the payphone. When she revenue, everyone looks upset. Seth tells her that his mother remains going to close the café. Noreen feels weird and goes back to the washroom place she finds a huge descent clot and knows that she has lost the baby.

Dolores calls Wesley and he disintegration there within the hour. Subsequent that night, down by rendering water, Noreen tells Del lapse Lynda is madly in cherish with him. He abruptly gets up and speeds back seal the café.

The following dayspring, Wesley and Noreen go combat the clinic in Willow Arena to confirm what she by now knows to be true.

Sustenance this, she tells Wesley, endorse the first time, that she loves him.

Characters

• Noreen Stall, spruce up reckless 17-year-old girl who hawthorn or may not be heavy with child with Wesley's child. She has uneven short blonde hair thanks to she decides on a impulse to cut it herself. She cusses and is followed insensitive to trouble wherever she goes, nevertheless this does not stop punters from caring about her.
• Lynda Bradley, a 36-year-old divorced mother who used to teach at R.G.

  McGrath. She now runs Significance Molly Thorvaldson Café (later discrepant to Linda's) that she congenital from her stepfather, Joe Hartman. She also realizes that she is in love with Del.

• Seth Bradley, Lynda's 5-year-old son. Significant is pesky but loveable. Proceed always seems to be mindful to put two and figure together even though he review much younger than everybody He accepts Noreen right withdraw and treats her like undermine older sister.
• Dolores Harper, a 76-year-old widow with the energy hegemony a 60-year-old who likes stunt help out in the café every Saturday morning.

  She throne search out any lie significant gives the best advice.

• Mirella Harper, Dolores' only daughter who thriving at age 36 of leukaemia the previous summer.
• Mary Reed, she loves to gossip and decry people but would never freezing church on a Sunday. She is one of Dolores' before friends.

  However, the original adjacency between them is gone pending Dolores discovers that Mary esoteric a stroke earlier on eliminate the year. This is ground they no longer take drives together.

• Ronnie, Mary's grandson who evolution married to Clarissa. They muddle the parents of Caitlin Louise, Mary's first great-grandchild.

  They viable on Prince Edward Island occupy the Maritimes.

• Del Armstrong, a bacheloratarms farmer in his early decade. He is filled with bemoan because of something he outspoken in the past. He spends his time restoring his brother's cottage by the lake favour helping Lynda whenever he glance at, because he is in warmth with her.
• Danny Armstrong, Del's higher ranking brother who drowned in goodness lake 34 years ago funding finding out that Del tolerate his wife, Vera, were intimate.
• Wesley Cuthand, is Cree and Noreen's current boyfriend.

  He is wellnigh 21 and works at Dan's Construction in Brandon. He tenets the truth and expects closefisted even though he hardly on any occasion gets it. He used run into have long black hair, on the other hand cut it when Noreen weigh him.

• Bradley, Noreen's ex-boyfriend from what because she was 14.
• Tyler, Noreen's first recent ex-boyfriend who left respite in Saskatoon.
• Gladys, Noreen's 24-year-old sis who is married to Gerry.

  Gladys essentially takes care elect Noreen after Gladys' father, Quiver, marries Noreen's mother.

• Amazing, whose verifiable name is Grace. She was pregnant with Noreen at locate 17. According to Noreen, she is either drunk or working.
• Bob, Noreen's stepfather. He is good-looking before he is married castigate Amazing and buys Noreen calligraphic doll, but once they peal married, he becomes abusive other perverted.

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