Kevin Major St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada E-Mail

Hold Fast
ISBN 0-7736-7438-1, Stoddart, $5.99

	The Story:	After his parents are killed in a traffic accident, Michael and his younger brother are split up. Michael must now now live with relatives in a city far from his home. It looks as if he might adjust to his new surroundings in spite of his uncle, who rules with an iron hand. But when his uncle's fist comes down hard once too often, Michael decides to run away, and his cousin Curtis joins him. The two struggle to survive as they wander through the harsh, magnificent landscape of Newfoundland.
Reviews	In Review	"...a landmark in Canadian writing for young people...a stunningly perceptive novel."
	Saturday Night	"...a unique product of recent Canadian literature. Michael contains a bit of Holden Caulfield and a bit of Huckleberry Finn, but there is also something authentically Newfoundland about him...it speaks honestly from a regional consciousness." (Robert Fulford)
	Books in Canada	"Major's Newfoundland novel is a little gem that depicts adolescent sorrow, stubbornness, and joy, and it can be read with profit by adults as well as younger readers."
Awards		Governor General's Literary Award Canadian Library Association Book of the Year Award Ruth Schwartz Award Hans Christian Andersen Honour List
Shortlisted		Books in Canada First Novel Award
Excerpt		By the time I got near to the house from the beach that night in June, I was pretty well ready to face up to Aunt Flo and anything she might say to me. But then I seen it wasn't just Aunt Flo I'd have to face, but a whole crowd of others, all ganged up there, just waiting for me to get back. I was in no mood for that. After the funeral and everything, and then have to come back into my own house and run headlong into all them glaring eyes. I knew a good lot of what was inside had no business there in the first place. Some of them hardly set foot in the house before, except when they wanted to borrow something. I had a good mind to tell them to get lost. I didn't want any of their stupid pity. I came in and took off my shoes in the porch. My socks too, because I didn't want to be trailing water all over the place. The ones inside heard me. I knew what I was going to have to listen to, as soon as I went through the porch door. Where was you? And all that. And I knew too that give them either bit of a chance atall and they'd be blaring out their sympathy. "That's all right, my boy," and "It must be hard on a boy that age." I could just see it. Every one of them wanting to get in their two cents worth. Trying to make out they was going to be some help. Well, I didn't need them. I got along good enough before without their help. I could darn well do the same now. "Don't say anything. Just leave me alone." And I took off up the stairs to my room.