René Steenbeke’s comment on the part Dora played in launching modern space travel is quoted in “Survivors of Mittelbau-Dora Commemorate Liberation” by Richard Murphy, found in the Jewish Virtual Library at www.us-israel.org.
“You deserve a break today, so get up and get away” used with permission from McDonald’s Corporation.
The poetry that Madeleine, Mike and Jocelyn listen to in Le Hibou is from Margaret Atwood, “Procedures from Underground.” In Procedures from Underground (Copyright © Margaret Atwood, 1970). Used by permission of the author.
The epigraph to “Hers” comes from Leonard Cohen, “You Have the Lovers.” In Stranger Music. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1994. © Leonard Cohen 1994. Used by permission.
The epigraph to “The Air Force Cross” comes from Stevie Smith, “Not Waving But Drowning.” In Not Waving But Drowning. London: Andre Deutsch, 1957.
The epigraph to “Prête-Moi Ta Plume, Pour Écrire un Mot” comes from Gwendolyn MacEwen, “Dark Pines Under Water.” In The Shadow-Maker. Toronto: Macmillan, 1972. Permission for use granted by the author’s family.
AUTHOR’S NOTE
The ordeal of Stephen Truscott, his spirit and courage, have been a major inspiration in the writing of this book.
Occasionally throughout the book, there are phrases of colloquial Acadian French, as well as phrases in the Michif language. In neither case are there hard and fast rules of spelling since both reflect an oral tradition. In both cases, the author has consulted native speakers of the relevant generation, and the translations and spellings reflect those speakers’ experience.
Thank you for your generous help: Theresa Burke, Louise Dennys, Honora Johannesen, Malcolm J. MacDonald (Royal Canadian Air Force retd.), Alisa Palmer, Clay Ruby and the Ruby-Sachs family, Lillian Szpak and Maureen White.
Thank you also to the following individuals and organizations for invaluable research information and, in numerous cases, the pleasure of many conversations: Irving Abella, Augustine Abraham, Ginette Abraham, Alice Aresenault and the Bouctouche Museum, Margaret Atwood, Bnai Brith, Professor Stephen Brooke, Professor Chalk, the staff, past and present, of Chatelaine magazine, Dr. Trudy Chernin, Charles Clarke, Michael Claydon, Professor Ramsay Cook, Deb Cowan, Olenka Demianchuk, Department of National Defence Directorate of History and Heritage — especially Richard Gimblett, William Rawling, Isabel Campbell and Donna Porter — Mike Englishman, Hugh Halliday, Peter Haydon (Royal Canadian Navy retd.) Geoffrey Hopkinson and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation archives, Malcolm Johannesen, Sigurd Johannesen (Canadian Forces retd.), Linda Kash, Dan Kaye (RCAF retd.), Douglas Lantry and the USAF Museum, Anne-Marie Lau and The RCAF Museum Canadian Forces Base Trenton, Linda Laughlin, Lindsay Leese, John Hugh MacDonald (Pipe Major, CF), Mary T. MacDonald (RN retd.), Tricia McConnell, Henry Melnick, Montana, National Archives of Canada, Almark Books, Michael J. Neufeld and the National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution, Ontario Archives, Ontario Institute of Studies in Educations, University of Toronto Archives, Doreen Keizer (Girl Guides of Canada), Danielle Palmer, Jacob Palmer, Gloria Peckam and Dog Guides Canada, Eric Price, the producers of It Seems Like Yesterday, Jeanette Richard, Rick Rickards, Bill Randall (RCAF retd.) and the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum, Alti Rodal, David Rudd and the Canadian Institute for Strategic Studies, Harriet Sachs, Andrea Schwenke, the Simon Wiesenthal Centre, John Starnes, Gina Stephens, Dave Sylvester, Patrick Szpak, Betty Twena, Tulin Valeri, Cylla von Tiedeman, Lorraine Wells, Joseph White (RCAF retd.) and Zsa Zsa.
Thank you as well to the staff of Knopf Canada and Random House of Canada, especially Nina Ber-Donkor, Deirdre Molina, Scott Richardson and Jen Shepherd. Special thanks also to Susan Broadhurst and an extra special thanks to Gena Gorrell.
I am personally indebted to the spirit and work of Tiff Findley.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ANN-MARIE MACDONALD is a novelist, playwright and actor, and the author of the acclaimed play Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet). Her first novel, Fall On Your Knees, became a much loved international bestseller when it was published in 1996. Winner of the Commonwealth Prize for Best First Book as well as numerous other literary awards, it also became a selection of Oprah’s Book Club. Ann-Marie MacDonald lives in Toronto.