Terlu Perna broke the law because she was lonely. She cast a spell and created a magically sentient spider plant. As punishment, she was turned into a wooden statue and tucked away into an alcove in the North Reading Room of the Great Library of Alyssium.
This should have been the end of her story . . . Yet one day, Terlu wakes in the cold of winter on a nearly-deserted island full of hundreds of magical greenhouses. She’s starving and freezing, and the only other human on the island is a grumpy gardener. To her surprise, he offers Terlu a place to sleep, clean clothes, and freshly baked honey cakes—at least until she’s ready to sail home.
But Terlu can’t return home and doesn’t want to—the greenhouses are a dream come true, each more wondrous than the next. When she learns that the magic that sustains them is failing—causing the death of everything within them—Terlu knows she must help. Even if that means breaking the law again.
This time, though, she isn’t alone. Assisted by the gardener and a sentient rose, Terlu must unravel the secrets of a long-dead sorcerer if she wants to save the island—and have a fresh chance at happiness and love.
Place Hold
september, 2025
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22sep3:30 pm5:00 pmCreative Writing Program3:30 pm - 5:00 pm Brandon Public Library
Join us at the Brandon Public Library for our next run of the Creative Writing Program! We’ll be focused on entering the CBC Short Story Prize. Author Renee Cronley will
Join us at the Brandon Public Library for our next run of the Creative Writing Program! We’ll be focused on entering the CBC Short Story Prize. Author Renee Cronley will be featured as a guest reader. All skill levels are welcome. To sign up, call the library at 204-727-6648, send an email to programs@wmrl.ca, or visit the library in person.
3:30 – 5 PM
September 8 & 22
October 6 & 20
Details on the prize: https://www.cbc.ca/books/literaryprizes/cbc-short-story-prize-1.4090935
Learn about Renee: https://www.reneecronley.com/
(Monday) 3:30 pm - 5:00 pm
Brandon Public Library
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Brandon, MB
R7A 0K9
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Unit 50A
Shoppers Mall
Brandon, MB
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PO Box 429
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PO Box 121
Hartney, MB
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PO Box 759
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