Drive

by Diana Wieler

This emotionally sophisticated story features two teenage boys, the Friesen brothers, who, not surprisingly at their stage of life, share a love-hate relationship. They have different personalities and different interests. Eighteen-year-old Jens is a big man on campus, the star receiver on the football team, and a top fundraiser. His younger brother Daniel is introverted, musical, and in trouble: he owes $5,000 to a sleazy record producer and has no way of repaying it.It seems like everyone is relying on Jens. When the boys' father suffers a heart attack, Jens leaves school and takes a job to contribute to the family's income. When Daniel asks Jens for help, the older brother not only offers advice but also accompanies Daniel when he confronts his enemies. In a shiny new pickup truck packed with camping gear and guitars, the brothers set out on an unusual road trip. This unforgettable weekend teaches them the priceless value of friendship and family loyalty.

Library Binding

First published December 12, 1991

About the author

Diana Wieler was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in 1961. She moved to Calgary as a teenager and, after high school, took the Television, Stage, and Radio Arts Program at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology. Working in radio in Calgary, and then for a newspaper in Saskatoon, proved to be valuable training for a writing career, which she now pursues full time.

Diana's first published short stories: A Dog On His Own, (Prairie Publishing Company), To the Mountains by Morning, was published in a third grade reader (Nelson Canada) and was the winner of the CBC Literary Competition in 1984; The Boy Who Walked Backwards (Coteau Books) was published in the Prairie Jungle Anthology and won the Vickey Metcalf Award in 1985; The Finder, (Houghton Mifflin) and The Scream were both published in The Canadian Children's Annual.

Diana's most recent works include Last Chance Summer (Western Producer, Parie Books), a winner of the Ebel Memorial Reward; Bad Boy is the winner of the Governor General's Literary Reward for Children's Literature in 1989 and the Ruth Schwartz Foundation Reward for Excellence, the Canadian Library Association for Young Adult Book of the Year in 1990 and also optioned for Canadian Film Rights; Ran Van the Defender, which won the Mr. Christie's Book Award; and Ran Van: A Worthy Opponent, which were published by Groundwood Books.

She has also ventured into screenwriting and is working on the script of Ran Van: the Defender for O'Meara Productions Ltd. A picture book edition of her story To the Mountains by Morning was published by Groundwood books in October 1995.

Diana Wieler is currently living in Winnipeg, Canada, with her husband and her son, Ben.

Reviews

[Irene Webb · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the writing because it kept my interest. But the story wasn't that good and I didn't like the characters. The main character seemed controlling and full of himself and the other character seemed really whiny and ungrateful. I don't regret reading it though.