Hotte, S: Break Away

Winter, teenagers, and dreams of glory come together in this novel aboutthe reaction of a small working-class town when the local hero decides not to join a professional hockey team. Talented Alexandre McKenzie lives on the North Shore of the St. Lawrence River, where in summer he rides the logging trails on his quad, and in winterafter school and hockey practicehe likes to head off alone to a bush campoutsidetown. When he meets and falls in love with an unusual girl, Jessie, who has been plagued by tragedy, his friends and neighborscriticizehim for stepping outside the popular crowd. Fighting to hold his head high, Alex takes comfort in his love of nature and his sightingsof a magnificentbull mooseand heknows that he does not want a future in sports."