The story of a first-generation-Canadian girl growing up in the shadows of the Second World War and navigating two cultures while struggling to find herself.

Eleven-year-old Waltraut wants to fit in at school, but it’s not easy. Not only does her name rhyme with the ethnic slur that is often hurled her way, but no one can relate to her immigrant family and their complicated past. On weekends, however, she attends German school with friends who are just like her. They share a language, food, and customs—and they understand what it’s like to live in two cultures.

As Waltraut navigates between her two worlds, she copes by reading and imagines how much easier her life would be if her name was Nancy, like the heroine of her favourite mystery series. So when her family moves to a new neighbourhood, Waltraut seizes the chance to reinvent herself. But she soon learns the price of pretending to be someone else. With support from an insightful teacher, a warm-hearted father, a tough-minded mother, and even her annoying younger brother, she embraces her true self, with all of its complexities and contradictions.

Gabriele Goldstone writes the books she wanted to read when she was growing up in the Winnipeg suburbs. As the daughter of immigrants, she couldn’t find her family stories in any books and instead escaped into the world of Nancy Drew. She holds a masters’ degree from the University of Manitoba, focusing on German literature, and a BA in English. She is a critically acclaimed author of books for children and young adults, including Crow Stone, Tainted Amber, and Broken Stone.

Gabriele Goldstone's profile page