Mud Lilies

At fourteen, Chanie Nyrider fled her home, where her parents were abusing her. The same night, an older woman took her in, and later proposed that Chanie sell sex for a living. With no other options, Chanie spent four years in the hidden corners of Edmonton until the police arrested her.

After her arrest, Chanie was given a choice between jail and a high school program for troubled youth. She enrolls, though without enthusiasm, mainly to stay out of custody and to be near Blue, the young man who has recently come into her life.

Chanie starts to find her footing in the program and forms bonds with classmates whose lives have followed similar paths. At home, however, things unravel. Blue becomes erratic and dishonest, and eventually dangerous. The man Chanie thought she knew is not the man she is living with.

The novel follows a young woman searching for a way forward through harsh circumstances, and her decision to commit to that path despite everything pulling her back.