Exchange of Heart

Description

Since the death of his sister, Evie, Munro Maddux has been stuck. Flashbacks. Anger. Chest pains. A constant ache in his right hand. And a taunting voice he calls the Coyote. In an act of desperation, Munro heads off on a student exchange to Australia - the country of Evie's dreams. 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. Munro gets to know his team of residents- 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. Will the Coyote 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

Darren Groth is the author of six novels, including Kindling and the acclaimed YA novel Are You Seeing Me?. He was the winner of the 2016 Adelaide Festival Award for Young Adult Literature and has been a finalist in numerous other prestigious prizes including the CBCA Book of the Year (Australia), the Prime Minister's Literary Awards (Australia), the Governor General's Literary Awards (Canada) and the Sakura Medal (Japan). Darren is a former special-education teacher and the proud father of a son with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). For fun, he watches Game of Thrones with his beautiful Canadian wife and eats Fatburger with his wondrous sixteen-year-old twins. He lives in Vancouver.