Cree
To Believe in the World
by
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Mother and daughter drove back to the city in silence. You know Mom, Amber said unexpectedly, removing the earplugs of her iPhone, I finished that French book. She did not comment further. Elle simply nodded. The trip, she mused, had turned out different from what she had hoped. It had renewed her bond with Amber unexpectedly. The encounter with Cree and his tragic death seemed to have changed them both and brought them closer together. More and more, Elle felt that her encounter with Cree was more than with a single person. It was, as Cree himself had wanted it, with a place but even more so, with a way of being in the world. The place could be anywhere, in the North woods or in the city. Cree was so wise for his age.
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About the Book
With her divorce final just months before, Elle Baxter, a sociologist, has accepted an opportunity to research and write an educational and promotional piece for Travel Magazine about the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, a large wilderness in northern Minnesota along the Canadian border. Elle believes the clear, brilliant water of creeks, placid lakes, and red sunsets will provide a good escape and help her come to terms with her new status in life.
With her children—Josh, nineteen, and Amber, who has just turned eighteen—Elle heads to northern Minnesota, settles into Loon Lodge, and begins her work with the Travel Magazine team. When she unexpectedly falls in love with her young guide, Cree, Elle feels her life begin to profoundly change. Cree helps Elle reconnect with the world and with herself.
Amber becomes jealous of her mom’s relationship with this young guide and meddles in the affair. The experience in the wilderness and the encounter with the young man transform the mother’s life and the daughter’s life in lasting ways.
About the Author
Verena Andermatt Conley is a writer and educator. Her books often deal with everyday life and existential dilemmas. She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with her husband and her two dogs.