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Tucked Away
It seems like a dream gig when Daphne gets the job offer—live in Montreal’s Underground City for a full year and blog about the experience. The flip side of the city has all the creature comforts. The year will fly by. Except there’s a catch. To collect her whopping bonus for sticking it out till day 365, Daphne must agree never to set so much as a toe outside the territory of the Underground City, submitting to an ankle monitor to keep her honest. Even if the conditions are hardcore, she doesn’t have much choice. Out of work, and sole provider for a grandmother whose bank account is on life support, Daphne signs on the dotted line. And that’s when her life goes into freefall.
Inspired by Daphne, her grandmother comes up with an underground plan of her own, sheltering a family of illegal refugees in her basement. Daphne’s initial fury at her grandmother’s risky move does an about-face once she meets Chantal, a young runaway holed up in the Underground City, fleeing a threat she refuses to disclose. When Chantal shows up on Daphne’s doorstep desperate for protection, Daphne must decide if she’s prepared to lay her underground future on the line to rescue a group of virtual strangers from discovery and ruin.
“At times both heartbreaking and hilarious, Tucked Away offers an intimate and irreverent tour of Montreal, especially its soc-called Underground City. In and around it Rudin sets an eclectic cast of characters and weaves their several stories together in a way that is surprising, moving and engaging at every turn. A tour de force!”
—Ann Lambert, author of the Russell and Leduc mystery series.
Inspired by Daphne, her grandmother comes up with an underground plan of her own, sheltering a family of illegal refugees in her basement. Daphne’s initial fury at her grandmother’s risky move does an about-face once she meets Chantal, a young runaway holed up in the Underground City, fleeing a threat she refuses to disclose. When Chantal shows up on Daphne’s doorstep desperate for protection, Daphne must decide if she’s prepared to lay her underground future on the line to rescue a group of virtual strangers from discovery and ruin.
“At times both heartbreaking and hilarious, Tucked Away offers an intimate and irreverent tour of Montreal, especially its soc-called Underground City. In and around it Rudin sets an eclectic cast of characters and weaves their several stories together in a way that is surprising, moving and engaging at every turn. A tour de force!”
—Ann Lambert, author of the Russell and Leduc mystery series.
296 pages, Paperback
Published June 27, 2023
22 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 17, 2025
3 stars
A woman accepts a job to live in the Underground City in Montreal for a year. She cannot leave and is required to blog about her experience to try to create hype and draw tourists.
I enjoyed learning about the Underground City. I hadn’t ever heard of it before reading this. The concept of having to live underground for a year was unique and interesting and I enjoyed following the main character on her journey in that living environment.
The quirky characters were unique and interesting. There was a sarcastic humour to the writing that was entertaining and kept the tone light. However, there are some extremely heavy topics covered. It was an eye opening exploration of homelessness and refugee life.
My initial intrigue started to lessen as I approached the halfway point because I found some of the plot points became silly and unrealistic which took away from my investment and connection. In the second half of the book, the storyline took a much darker tone than I expected. It was hard to read at times due to the heavy topics explored, so please check trigger warnings before reading this.
Overall, this book had some strong points and takeaways, but didn’t consistently keep my attention.
Thank you to the publisher for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review!
A woman accepts a job to live in the Underground City in Montreal for a year. She cannot leave and is required to blog about her experience to try to create hype and draw tourists.
I enjoyed learning about the Underground City. I hadn’t ever heard of it before reading this. The concept of having to live underground for a year was unique and interesting and I enjoyed following the main character on her journey in that living environment.
The quirky characters were unique and interesting. There was a sarcastic humour to the writing that was entertaining and kept the tone light. However, there are some extremely heavy topics covered. It was an eye opening exploration of homelessness and refugee life.
My initial intrigue started to lessen as I approached the halfway point because I found some of the plot points became silly and unrealistic which took away from my investment and connection. In the second half of the book, the storyline took a much darker tone than I expected. It was hard to read at times due to the heavy topics explored, so please check trigger warnings before reading this.
Overall, this book had some strong points and takeaways, but didn’t consistently keep my attention.
Thank you to the publisher for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review!
November 21, 2025
Cute, funny, insightful read while perusing Montreal’s underground city
December 8, 2023
I was attracted to this book because of the content set in Montreal's "underground city" and this did not disappoint. The interconnected stories, strong characters, witty descriptions and thought provoking themes were what kept me glued to the pages. Highly recommend.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews