One Good Thing: A Novel

by Rebecca Hendry

A novel set in Yellowknife's historic Old Town in the 70s that explores both abandonment and belonging in the life of a young woman.

In the spring of 1977, Annie, a flighty artist, and her twelve-year-old daughter, Delilah, trade the cherry blossom trees and beaches of Vancouver for rugged and remote Old Town in Yellowknife, surprising Delilah’s father by showing up on his doorstep. As she adapts to her new surroundings, Delilah befriends Will, a local Dene man and her father’s business partner. But Annie’s capricious nature undermines Delilah’s elusive sense of belonging when Annie leaves Old Town for an artists’ colony without saying goodbye. While coping with her family’s instability and changes within herself, Delilah becomes attached to Will as she grows alienated from her increasingly aloof father. When Will vanishes in a blizzard one night, Delilah is devastated and suspects her father is to blame. What happened to Will? Is there anyone she can trust? Where—and with whom—does she belong?

Genres: Canada, Fiction

236 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 2018

About the author

Rebecca Hendry began her career fifteen years ago working for Amazon as a copyeditor and proofreader in their self-publishing department, editing everything from poetry to business books to literary memoirs. She is a contract editor for private clients and traditional publishing houses, and has worked as a marketing coordinator and in-house editor at Caitlin Press, an award-winning Canadian publisher.

She is also a published fiction writer. Her first novel, Grace River, was published by Brindle and Glass in 2009, and her short stories have been published by numerous literary presses across Canada including the Windsor Review, Event, Room, Dalhousie Review and Wascana Review.

Reviews

[Jovdb · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy to read, coming of age book.

Delilah, Lila, is the only child of Annie and Mac. Annie is a bit of a hippy. She considers herself to be an artist and has moved around trying to find herself. Only trouble is, when she moves, Lila moves too.

Mac is off working up in northern Canada, in Yellowknife. Annie decides, on a whim, in the middle of the night, to leave Vancouver and trek to Yellowknife. Typical of the lack of forethought, when Annie and Lila arrive, they can’t cross because it’s coming on to winter and the passage is impassable.

Not long after they have been there, Annie decides this is not for her and up and leaves for California, leaving Lila with Mac.

Some of the things that Annie embarks on, her emotional highs and lows, seem to indicate that she might be bipolar, although this was never voiced.

Lila has finally found her place. She settles into life, makes friends, enjoys the close knit community. She and her father get along well, and, while he is working night shifts, others in the community step up and look out for Lila. Most notably, Will, and Lila’s friend, Jones’ family.

All is going along well when Annie reaches out. She’s settled in California and wants Mac and Lila to join her. While Mac, who is besotted with Annie, wants to go, Lila is adamant that she wants to stay.

While they are at this impasse, Will, who has become an important part of Lila’s life, goes missing when out on a trip with Mac.

Lila, aware of the growing tension between the two, is not sure what really happened that night out on the cold ice.

Amongst this drama, Lila struggles to with her suspicions, her deep friendship with Jones, and the despair she feels at the thought of giving up this life she has come to love.

A story that flows, with believable characters and wonderful descriptions of life in one of Canada’s northern communities.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a solid read. Hendry has a talent for taking seeming ordinary situations, people, and events and making them engaging and interesting. I lost sleep from this book because I could not put it down at night and keep reading until I fell asleep on my e-reader (I finished that morning when I woke up).

On top of the inherent reading value of the book, I was engaged at another level. Like protagonist Delilah, I grew up in a home with parents who were unwilling and/or unable to parent, and who were unable and unwilling to love me well or in any healthy ways. I understood Delilah's feeling torn between loyalties to her parents and even between her parents, and between her parents and her growing sense of Self. I understood Delilah's not quite fitting in at school and seeking to figure out who she is and where she fits in the world. I think Hendry deals with these aspects of growing up in a not-OK-enough home with a deftness that made me have sympathy not just for fictional Delilah but also the author herself; those who grew-up in good and good-enough homes can never understand the not-OK-enough dynamics in the way that those of us who lived it can, and Hendry does get it.

For me, the only real downside of this book is that Hendry has (so far) only written (or at least only published) two novels. I have already read, and also enjoyed, the other one, Grace River. I suppose now I can only hope that Hendry has another book in the works. I will definitely read one if it comes out.

[Sherry Royal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much. I couldn't read it fast enough. You fall in love with the main character, 12 yr. old Delilah, immediately. She broke my heart on several occasions because all she ever wanted was a family and a stable home, both of which were elusive for her. If you have ever lived in Yellowknife, or if you knew people who did, you will appreciate the details of living there in the 70's. And you will definitely recognize both the town and the surrounding areas. It made me want to go there! All the characters from Delilah's parents to her first boyfriend and her neighbors are all uniquely well-rounded and intriguing, if not always lovable. Will, a neighbor, is one of my favorites, as is Mac, Delilah's heart-rending father.

The book is beautifully written. Hendry's vivid descriptions of the area make you feel like you are familiar with all of it. And her characters are so well rounded and defined that they become your family and friends. And if Delilah doesn't break your heart with her steadfast longing for her family and her love of Yellowknife, then you are a very tough cookie!

My favorite excerpt comes from a conversation between Delilah and Will: ""I just like to know why things happen. Don't you?" He sets the cheese on the counter and turns to her. "Not always, kid," he says. "What happened is what happened. Knowing why doesn't change a thing."

I highly recommend this book to those who enjoy well written characters as well as being transported to a place (in this case, Yellowknife) they may never go, but now feel like they know it well.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

One good thing by Rebecca Hendry

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this title from BNC Catalist, Loanstars, and the publisher in exchange for a fair review.

Delilah's life has been in a bit of upheaval, with two parents who maybe haven't fully appreciated that a child needs some form of stability. When Mom packs up herself and Delilah to move to Old Town Yellowknife to live with Delilah's dad, Delilah isn't crazy about the idea of moving once again.
What follows is the story of Delilah's continued struggles with her parents, but also of finding friendship, adults, and community that provide stability, and of Delilah finding her own sense of knowing and asking for what is best for her.
I especially enjoyed the picture of life in Old Town, where there is no friction between First Nation Canadians and Anglo-Canadians or French-Canadians. They are simply a community which enjoys and looks after each other.
Highly recommended.

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 4 out of 5]

It reads like a young adult novel, but that's a compliment. The novel itself feels accessible to all ages, working effectively on numerous spoken & unspoken levels. It's both crystal clear in its bluntness yet also subtle & delicate. It manages to be compelling without becoming maudlin. It's a rare combination of goodness in a world that's full of too much black & white moralistic writing.

[Gillian Burles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full disclosure: I’ve lived in Yellowknife for over 30 years and spent summers growing up here as well. Her depictions of YK and that time frame are very well done (Nettie’s Pyroghy House, Weaver and Devore, descriptions of the houses in Old Town as well as the whole ‘vibe’ of YK). Essentially this is a coming of age story and there are passages that are really beautifully written.

[Gibsons Girl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this coming-of-age novel, and refreshing to read some CanLit with no incest or sexual abuse! I loved learning more about Yellowknife culture in the 70s and found the characters interesting but believable. This would be a great book club book. I could also see it as a candidate for CBC's Canada Reads.

[Brittany Connolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fantastic book set in northern Canada over the course of a year in the late seventies. It's a short read, but there is such depth in Delilah's character I couldn't help falling in love with her. Her relationships with her parents felt relatable, and her search for a parental figure just broke something in me. Great work of fiction.

[John Bunge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gets the feeling and atmosphere of Old Town Yellowknife in the 1970's. Great read!

[Penny (Literary Hoarders) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars.