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Strange Beauty
There are some things a teen can take for granted, or so Penny thinks. Beautiful girls get all the breaks. An eccentric old woman is going to be the target of every kid in the 'hood. But what if things are not all they seem? Lori Weber's talents are on full display in this in this remarkable, insightful story of beauty's fleeting power and the effects of time.
144 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2006
4 people are currently reading
11 people want to read
About the author
Lori Weber
16 books9 followersI was born and raised in Montreal, in a neighbourhood called Park
Extension. This was a great place for a writer to grow up because there
were lots of colourful characters around, lots of street life, and lots of
different ethnicities to be curious about. The predominant ethnic group at
the time (the 60s) was Greek. I grew up hearing as much Greek as
French and English, and I learned to love the food and customs of my
Greek friends. It was, however, early training in being more of an
observer than a participant. When I was 13 my parents bought a house in
Ville St-Laurent, a suburb of Montreal. Perhaps because of my Park Ex
days, I found myself hanging out mostly with a group of Armenian friends
the first few years. I was just comfortable being different– and having to
decode foreign languages. This gave me an interest in languages, so I
went on to learn German (my father’s heritage), as well as Spanish in
later life, which means I speak four languages, although none but English
well enough to write in.
At cegep (which exists only in Quebec and is a transitional stage of
higher education between high school and university), I started to write
stories in my Creative Writing classes. There, I met a teacher, Fran, who
became a mentor and really encouraged me to develop this passion.
That’s when I first started to feel that I could be a writer and actually
publish. I began going to readings and writing workshops whenever I
could, to immerse myself in writing culture.
I studied English literature at university, but part-time, because I worked
and supported myself from the age of 19 on. I lived in many different
parts of Montreal, including downtown, Verdun, the Plateau, and did
many different office jobs, such as documentation clerk in a shipping
company and assistant editor for a Public Relations newspaper at McGill.
Throughout all this time, I continued to write stories and had a few
published, along with some poems, in small press magazines.
At the age of 29, Bachelor’s Degree, in hand, I moved with my partner to
Nova Scotia and did a Master’s Degree in English. I got my MA and
became a Ma all within weeks of each other, which was a neat
experience.
The next move was across the water to Newfoundland, a place I had
never been to. The ferry crossing was wild, with ripping wind and high
waves which I feared would sweep my six-week old daughter overboard if
I went outside. We stayed in St. John’s for two fantastic years.
Newfoundland is everything and more than people say it is – charming,
special, wet, and wonderful.
We returned to Quebec and I pursued a degree in teaching English,
which led to my current job as an English teacher at John Abbott College
in Montreal, where I have been teaching for 11 years. Seven years in, I
decided that if I were ever going to get back to writing in a more serious
way, I had to lessen my teaching load, so I began teaching part-time and
writing more. This led to my first book, Klepto. I have continued to
combine teaching and writing ever since. Both are labour-intensive and
the two together equal more than one full-time job, but I’m so happy to be
able to earn a living and continue writing books.
Extension. This was a great place for a writer to grow up because there
were lots of colourful characters around, lots of street life, and lots of
different ethnicities to be curious about. The predominant ethnic group at
the time (the 60s) was Greek. I grew up hearing as much Greek as
French and English, and I learned to love the food and customs of my
Greek friends. It was, however, early training in being more of an
observer than a participant. When I was 13 my parents bought a house in
Ville St-Laurent, a suburb of Montreal. Perhaps because of my Park Ex
days, I found myself hanging out mostly with a group of Armenian friends
the first few years. I was just comfortable being different– and having to
decode foreign languages. This gave me an interest in languages, so I
went on to learn German (my father’s heritage), as well as Spanish in
later life, which means I speak four languages, although none but English
well enough to write in.
At cegep (which exists only in Quebec and is a transitional stage of
higher education between high school and university), I started to write
stories in my Creative Writing classes. There, I met a teacher, Fran, who
became a mentor and really encouraged me to develop this passion.
That’s when I first started to feel that I could be a writer and actually
publish. I began going to readings and writing workshops whenever I
could, to immerse myself in writing culture.
I studied English literature at university, but part-time, because I worked
and supported myself from the age of 19 on. I lived in many different
parts of Montreal, including downtown, Verdun, the Plateau, and did
many different office jobs, such as documentation clerk in a shipping
company and assistant editor for a Public Relations newspaper at McGill.
Throughout all this time, I continued to write stories and had a few
published, along with some poems, in small press magazines.
At the age of 29, Bachelor’s Degree, in hand, I moved with my partner to
Nova Scotia and did a Master’s Degree in English. I got my MA and
became a Ma all within weeks of each other, which was a neat
experience.
The next move was across the water to Newfoundland, a place I had
never been to. The ferry crossing was wild, with ripping wind and high
waves which I feared would sweep my six-week old daughter overboard if
I went outside. We stayed in St. John’s for two fantastic years.
Newfoundland is everything and more than people say it is – charming,
special, wet, and wonderful.
We returned to Quebec and I pursued a degree in teaching English,
which led to my current job as an English teacher at John Abbott College
in Montreal, where I have been teaching for 11 years. Seven years in, I
decided that if I were ever going to get back to writing in a more serious
way, I had to lessen my teaching load, so I began teaching part-time and
writing more. This led to my first book, Klepto. I have continued to
combine teaching and writing ever since. Both are labour-intensive and
the two together equal more than one full-time job, but I’m so happy to be
able to earn a living and continue writing books.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 21, 2025
A haunting yet fascinating coming-of-age story.
October 10, 2012
Penny a normal girl in highschool living a normal life with friends and family. Nothing to exciting happens till her grandmother becomes ill and her best friend is pressured into a tough place. Her teacher assigns her class the task of finding a bit of interesting history about their family. Penny thinks its a cool assignment but her family is dull and boring what could she possibly find? But what she finds shocks her friends, class and herself.
This book was a great easy read for girls and boys interested in a lil history, death, life, pressure,saddness and joy. I gave it 5 stars because it told so much in just 144 pages. Lori Weber tells an amazing story about a strange beauty and how to aprisheate it it its full beauty.
This book was a great easy read for girls and boys interested in a lil history, death, life, pressure,saddness and joy. I gave it 5 stars because it told so much in just 144 pages. Lori Weber tells an amazing story about a strange beauty and how to aprisheate it it its full beauty.
June 5, 2011
This book is very realistic, especially the beginning of the book. In any place, there are two kinds of people, one kind is dress up very beautifully, and another kind is dress very simple. Is is all people's eyeballs will focus on the beautiful ones? However, the beautiful one can always say something more confidently, like Cindy, she wears make ups and dress very pretty, so she yells at her best friend, Penny. Penny dreeses up very simple and no make up, and she does not yell back. Can the simple one speak more confidently than the beautiful one?
June 5, 2011
People like to judge others based on their appearances. The prettier and sexier you are, more popular you are; the more simple and ordinary you are, the less popularity you get. Same in the book Strange Beauty by Lori Weber, one girl wears attractively and beautifully with make ups on; another girl wears casual without make ups. But the special girl(beautiful) didn't always catch all the attention. Sometimes. the beauties of the simple girl can also attracts all the attentions. Therefore, appearances aren't reflect on anything, and we should not judge people on their appearances.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews