Exchange of Heart

Product Description

Since the sudden death of his younger sister, Munro Maddux has been stuck. Flashbacks. Anger. Chest pains. And a voice - taunting, barking, biting - that his counsellor calls 'the Coyote'. Munro knows a student exchange will not be the stuff of Disney movies. But in Australia he intends to move beyond his troubled past. Forced by his new school to join a volunteer program, Munro discovers the Coyote is silenced in one place- Fair Go, an assisted living residence in Brisbane's west, where Munro gets to know his team of residents- dogged designer Bernie; sleeping refugee Shah; would-be wedded couple Blake and Dale; comic creator Iggy; and self-defence tutor Florence. As this unlikely group shows Munro the sights, Munro's notion of what it means to be a big brother begins to change. But the burden Munro carries is not so easily cast aside, and unexpected developments at Fair Go prompt a devastating flashback that threatens to end the student exchange. Will the Coyote ultimately triumph? Or can Munro find the fortitude necessary to mend his heart? 'Funny-sad, authentic and uplifting - Groth is a writer who can pivot from heartbreak to humour without missing a beat.' Vikki Wakefield, author of All I Ever WantedSince the sudden death of his younger sister, Munro Maddux has been stuck. Flashbacks. Anger. Chest pains. And a voice - taunting, barking, biting - that his counsellor calls 'the Coyote'. Munro knows a student exchange will not be the stuff of Disney movies. But in Australia he intends to move beyond his troubled past. Forced by his new school to join a volunteer program, Munro discovers the Coyote is silenced in one place- Fair Go, an assisted living residence in Brisbane's west, where Munro gets to know his team of residents- dogged designer Bernie; sleeping refugee Shah; would-be wedded couple Blake and Dale; comic creator Iggy; and self-defence tutor Florence. As this unlikely group shows Munro the sights, Munro's notion of what it means to be a big brother begins to change. But the burden Munro carries is not so easily cast aside, and unexpected developments at Fair Go prompt a devastating flashback that threatens to end the student exchange. Will the Coyote ultimately triumph? Or can Munro find the fortitude necessary to mend his heart? 'Funny-sad, authentic and uplifting - Groth is a writer who can pivot from heartbreak to humour without missing a beat.' Vikki Wakefield, author of All I Ever Wanted
Originally from Brisbane, Australia, Darren Groth now lives in Vancouver, Canada, with his Canadian wife and twelve-year-old twins. His books have been published on both sides of the Pacific and include Kindling and Most Valuable Potential. Darren's first YA novel, Are You Seeing Me?, has been shortlisted for several major awards including the Children's Book Council of Australia Book of the Year, NSW Premier's Literary Awards, Queensland Literary Awards and the Governor General's Literary Awards in Canada. It was also selected as a White Ravens recommendation by the International Youth Library, and was an IBBY Outstanding Books for Young People with Disabilities Selection 2015. Darren, a former special education teacher, is passionate about promoting awareness and understanding of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and he is the proud father of an ASD son. Darren finds inspiration in subjects close to his heart, and Are You Seeing Me? features twins from Brisbane - one disabled, the other his sole carer - on the road trip of a lifetime in British Columbia and Seattle.