Middle of Nowhere

by Caroline Adderson

At first Curtis isn't that worried when his mother doesn't come home from her all-night job at the local gas bar. She'll be back, he's ten out of ten positive. After all, she promised she would never leave him again.


Besides, Curtis is used to looking after himself and his five-year-old brother, Artie, and for a time he manages things on his own, keeping their mother's absence a secret. He knows exactly what will happen if any of the teachers find out the truth. He remembers his last horrible foster home all too clearly.


Curtis gets pretty good at forging his mother's signature, but when the credit card maxes out and the landlord starts pressuring for the rent, it's more than a twelve-year-old can handle. Just in time, Curtis and Artie make friends with Mrs. Burt, the cranky, lonely old lady who lives across the street. And when the authorities start to investigate, the boys agree to go with Mrs. Burt to her remote cabin by the lake, and the three of them abscond in her 1957 Chevy Bel Air.


At the lake, the boys' days are filled with wood-chopping, outhouse-building, fishing, swimming and Mrs. Burt's wonderful cooking. But as the summer sails by, Curtis can't stop thinking about his mother's promise.


Then the weather grows colder, and Mrs. Burt seems to be preparing to spend the winter at the cabin, and Curtis starts to worry.


Have they really all just absconded to the lake for a summer holiday? Or have the two boys been kidnapped?


Set in Vancouver and the B.C. wilderness (the trip to the cabin involves a hilarious white-knuckled road trip through Hope), this is a book that reflects Caroline Adderson's many writerly strengths — her "wit and a facility for dialogue, good pacing and a brisk, clean prose style" (Globe and Mail), her "close observation of telling details" (Quill & Quire) and her ability to "celebrate a child's imagination in a realistically humorous way" (Canadian Materials).

Genres: Realistic Fiction, Middle Grade, Young Adult, Action, Family, Adventure, Juvenile

216 pages, Paperback

First published January 10, 2012

About the author

Caroline Adderson grew up in Alberta. After traveling around Canada, she moved to B.C. to go to university and has mostly lived there ever since. She started writing seriously after university, eventually going on to write two internationally published novels (A History of Forgetting and Sitting Practice) and two collections of short stories for adults (Bad Imaginings and Pleased To Meet You). When her son was five, she began writing seriously unserious books for young readers (Very Serious Children; I, Bruno;and Bruno For Real). Her contribution to the Single Voice series is her first really serious book for young readers and her first book for teens.

Caroline’s work has received numerous prize nominations including the Scotiabank Giller Prize longlist, the Governor General’s Literary Award, the Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize, and the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize. A two-time Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize and three-time CBC Literary Award winner, Caroline was also the recipient of the 2006 Marian Engel Award, given annually to an outstanding female writer in mid-career in recognition of her body of work. She also won the 2009 Diamond Willow Award—voted on by lots of nice kids in Saskatchewan—for her children’s novel Very Serious Children.

Caroline keeps writing for readers of all ages every day. She also does a little teaching at Simon Fraser University and hangs out with her husband, a filmmaker, their 10-year-old son, and their naughty dog, Mickey, a Jack Russell terrier who is very lucky to be cute or she would never get away with all she does. Caroline’s advice to young writers is to read, read, read and write, write, write, and never get a Jack Russell terrier.

Reviews

[Rachel Seigel]

I enjoyed this a lot more than I expected. The cover is too dark and muted for my taste, but the story is thought-provoking and well-written, and middle-grade readers will be engaged.

[Vikki VanSickle]

I rushed out to get this after reading Sarah Ellis' glowing review in The Quill & Quire. That Sarah Ellis. Her reviews are written with such warmth, thought, and integrity- just like her fiction! This is the first Adderson book I have read, despite the great praise her books receive. I very much enjoyed this story, about two boys who are taken in by an elderly neighbour when their irresponsible mother doesn't come home one day. The unlikely trio heads up north to a remote cabin where all three find a certain peace and happiness. The chapters were succinct and Adderson's text is very tight, but there will still some poetic moments.I appreciate a lean, but not purely functional text. In a way this is a survival story, as the boys learn to live without a working toilet, electricity, and other urban conveniences. The blend of boy humour, survival story, and family drama felt unique and will appeal to a variety of readers.

[David Carriere]

Middle of Nowhere is a quietly gripping novel that trusts young readers with complex emotions and moral uncertainty. Caroline Adderson writes Curtis with remarkable empathy, capturing the fierce responsibility, hope, and fear that coexist when a child is forced to grow up too fast. The story balances tension and tenderness, allowing moments of humor and warmth to surface even as the stakes rise. Mrs. Burt’s presence transforms the narrative from one of survival into one of unexpected connection, and the wilderness setting mirrors Curtis’s isolation and longing with subtle precision. This is a middle grade novel that lingers long after the final page, offering a compassionate portrait of resilience, imagination, and the fragile promises that shape childhood.

[Othnelia]

This novel can go die. It is awful do not read!!

[Max]

Really enjoyed this. It's a serious book for older children which will get them thinking about lots of things.

[Erin Nugent]

My 8 and 11 year old boys loved this story. The ending was not what we expected at all.

[Barbara]

Although Curtis is positive that his mother will come back soon from wherever she is, another part of him doubts that she will. After all, she's left him before, prompting a stay in a foster home with the bullying Brandon Pennypacker who browbeats him out of sight of his parents. His certainty wavers from one hundred percent sureness to zero over the course of the book. As Curtis and his little brother Artie struggle to make ends meet, their paths intersect with that of an elderly neighbor, Mrs. Burt, who is struggling to make it on her own as well. Age and physical frailty, not money, are her challenges. Curtis begins running errands for her, and eventually the boys come to confide and trust in her. Eventually, she concocts a plan involving a road trip to a family cabin near a lake far from their home, claiming that the distance and isolation will keep the police and social services from bothering them. The boys have the time of their lives at the cabin, and Artie faces and loses many of his fears. Curtis, however, can't quit thinking about his mother, and wants to head back to town. I really enjoyed this story because of the way it is told and how the author makes it seem as though Curtis's mother has abandoned the boys when nothing could be further from the truth. Mrs. Burt, while well-intentioned, is untruthful to the boys as she attempts to have a second chance at a family and maintaining a level of independence. The author does a great job of showing that making one mistake doesn't make someone a bad mother. Any mother whose sole treasure is the first baby tooth lost by a child can't be all bad.

[Isabella]

Middle of Nowhere by Caroline Adderson is a very well-written and sentimental book that touched my heart. The story is about a young boy named Curtis and his brother Artie. Their mother has promised to come back from her job, but she never does. At first, Curtis isn't too worried about it; knowing she promised. So, he lives alone with his brother, keeping it a secret from the authorities, remembering his foster home as a child where he lived with an abusive foster brother. Curtis begins forging his mother's signature, using her credit time, and eventually, Curtis and and Artie acquaint Mrs. Burt from across the street. In a turn of events, they eventually "abscond" away to Mrs. Burt's cabin in the woods to avoidthe authorities. They begin their new lives in the wilderness, learning to swim and cooking by the fire. But Curtis can't help but remember his mother's promise... Will he ever see his mother again? My favorite part of the story is when Mrs. Burt, Curtis, and Artie finally drive out of town, without any worries of the authorities any more. Overall, I thought that this was a remarkable, at times funny, and touching story. I would recommend it to those who enjoy realistic fiction, heartwarming and emotional stories, and a bit of humor as well. A very underrated yet powerful story.

[Dotty]

WOW! A fast read, but a compelling read. Author did a great job creating suspense and I loved the ending. I'm not sure I've ever seen a book ending constructed this way: halfway up the rise to the climax narrative jumps to the end. Rest of the book unfolds the climax and denouement in retrospect. The author did a wonderful job and after I finished I realized that to finish the book in linear fashion would have be "ho-hum" writing.

Book Talk: Curtis' mom promised him she would never leave him again. But she didn't come back after her all-night shift at the Pay-N-Save. Younger brother Artie and Curtis head to school hiding the fact their mother is missing. Days later the credit card is maxed out and the landlord is hounding them for the rent. If Social Services learns finds out the boys are alone, Curtis is certain they will send the boys to separate foster homes. The only solution may be the cranky old neighbor, Mrs. Burt.

[Marilyn]

My 10yo son really didn't enjoy this book which I couldn't have predicted before we read it together. But the opening chapter with the missing mother really threw him and he just couldn't settle into the story after that. To be honest I don't really blame him. The story is very realistic in its despair of finding yourself alone without a parent trying to survive on loose change and a found credit card. My son was so much in despair about the missing mother that I had to read ahead to see what happens and prepare him.

Read on my own the story is ok but the cover art is terrible and not engaging at all. The story is ok - if bleak, but very realistic. I could certainly believe that what happened could happen. But it's not a book I would want to read over and over again which is the type that usually become blockbusters with my kids.

[Gtsalas]

Artie got woken up by a siren. He looked outside of his window but nothing was there. He thought it was the police but as it got closer it was an ambulance. It stopped at his neighbors house. A grandma was living there. He saw the stretcher coming out of the ambulance and new something bad was going on. The next morning the neighborhood was silent. They were actually kind of glad that she was gone because she was always mean. I like books that are about bit of mystery and a bit of adventure. What could of happened to their neighbor. I can connect to this book because I always hear police sirens. I think this book will teach me to to be careful and not do daring things because I might have to got to the emergency room. The title of the book is Middle Of Nowhere.

[Philippa Dowding]

Interesting read, lots of ups and downs and some unexpected twisty bits at the end. The characters are interesting and believable, I particularly enjoyed the little brother, a very accurately drawn 5 year old I thought. The life at the lake also seemed authentic, so I wondered if the author does a lot of backwoods camping. I found myself applauding the author's ability to lull the reader into a false sense of security. The world is a tricky place for kids to navigate, and who DO children trust in times of crisis? The police and the foster system, or anyone who shows them kindness, even if they aren't entirely reliable? I'd recommend this for kids in older middle grades, since the themes of abandonment and escape are quite intense. 10+

[Mc Chanster]

I actually REALLY enjoyed this book! Curtis and Artie are brothers coping with the disappearance of their mother. Being the older brother, Curtis takes it upon himself to look after the both of them. Although he expected creativity to be a part of their survival, he didn't expect help coming from their cranky, across-the-street neighbor, Mrs. Burt. She comes as a welcome surprise and the boys find themselves leaning on her for support, but challenges arise when Curtis starts to wonder about his mother.

A touching story about family, trust and loss. Very well-written and a great tale of hope.

[A. Nixon]

This was a good book. Very honest and well-written, I felt bad for the characters but at the same time, appreciated their distinct voices and the great pacing of the book. There were moments, especially at the end, where it reminded me very strongly of another book (although I couldn't tell you what one!) but all together, a good read and a very good one for any kids, especially boys and especially any boys who like the outdoors or have little brothers.

[Liam O'Donnell]

Loved it! At first I wasn't sure because the cover didn't really pull me in. Another, "lost in the wild" story (and I've written a few of them!) but this is a smart, touching story about loss, poverty and the refusal to let life fall apart. Had me laughing, cheering and tearing up all in the same chapter. That's good writing.

[Jody Kyburz]

I enjoyed this less than I thought I would. Not sure what my fifth graders would think, but for me, it was actually a little "ho-hum." Like Thumper says...if you can't somethin' nice, then don't say nothin' at all.

[Linda]

Cute story about two young boys who's mom doesnt come home one day. The older one keeps it secret from all, until the old lady next store begins to know they are alone. The story moves along, where the boys and the old lady go on an adventure. Of course there is a happy ending.

[Scott Simpson]

Great story I would have been destroyed by as a 10 year old.

[Heather]

Middle grade, trust, responsibility.

[Alice]

I liked this much better than I thought I would. It is more about trying to make a connection with another human being than about the sad situations we often find ourselves facing.

[Kathie]

This is a MYRCA 2014 nominee, and an excellent book that generates great discussion!

[Sarah Buzard]

Great story, read it with my 9-year old. I cried.

[Kathleen]

would try another by this author

[Katy Lovejoy]

This kind if reminds me of love Aubrey