I Found Hope in a Cherry Tree

Illustrator: Nathalie Dion
Publisher: Groundwood Books
September 2020

​Where do we find hope in dark times? What do we do with the uncertainties of life?
Inspired by the 2017 Las Vegas shooting and the wisdom of Rebecca Solnit's writing about hope, I Found Hope in a Cherry Tree explores how life can feel unpredictable, confusing, and even scary. But hope is not a state of being, hope is an action, and where better to find the perfect metaphor than in nature. Beautifully illustrated by Nathalie Dion, I Found Hope in a Cherry Tree is published by Groundwood Books.

Order from your favourite independent bookstore!! 
Click here to order directly from Groundwood Books/House of Anansi Press.
Also available through: Chapters/Indigo and Amazon.com
Click the "Resource Guide" button to download the PDF file containing lesson plans and resources to accompany I Found Hope in a Cherry Tree. More info here.

Escape to a remote island on Lake Superior

A Globe and Mail and Toronto Star bestseller!
​Jean's debut adult novel is an affecting story of family, identity, and art that involves a decades-old mystery. Vividly drawn, Lake Superior is almost a character in itself, changeable yet constant, its shores providing both safety and isolation. For more, click here

Listen to an excerpt from the audio book version.

"This is a perfect hammock read for those who love the Bronte sisters and Jodie Picoult in equal measure." -  Publisher's Weekly

"A haunting tale of nostalgia and lost chances that is full of last-minute surprises." - Kirkus

Short-listed for the 2018 HWA Debut Crown
​Winner 2018 Northern Lit Award - Fiction
A BBC Radio 2 Book Club Selection
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IN HONOUR OF
​INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY 2021

Dear Wonder Woman

​I share the dream that haunts you,
beautiful one,
woven with threads
collected by our mothers and grandmothers,
stitched into garments
that drape us with the power
to be
more.
 
We wrap ourselves in its embrace,
welcoming possibility,
unaware that stones
have been left in the pockets
that we were never meant
to carry.

Read the full poem.

A Meditation on Hope

How do we move forward in the face of the unknown and unknowable? How do we talk to children about hope? Jean E. Pendziwol reads from her upcoming picture book I Found Hope in a Cherry Tree, illustrated by Nathalie Dion and published by Groundwood Books, August 2020. 

For more, click here.