About BC Books Online
BC Books Online was created for anyone interested in BC-published books, and with librarians especially in mind. We'd like to make it easy for library staff to learn about books from BC publishers - both new releases and backlist titles - so you can inform your patrons and keep your collections up to date.
Our site features print books and ebooks - both new releases and backlist titles - all of which are available to order through regular trade channels. Browse our subject categories to find books of interest or create and export lists by category to cross-reference with your library's current collection.
A quick tip: When reviewing the "Browse by Category" listings, please note that these are based on standardized BISAC Subject Codes supplied by the books' publishers. You will find additional selections, grouped by theme or region, in our "BC Reading Lists."
Description
Cady has always wanted to be a reporter, like her hero Nellie Bly, so after a fire burns down the orphanage she lives in, she’s ready to leave small-town Ontario and make her mark as a newspaperwoman.
A crumbling newspaper clipping leads her to Orrenstown, Indiana, where her investigation into a long-ago murder earns her a hard lesson in race relations. Smart and determined, and more than a little headstrong, Cady pokes a stick into a wasp’s nest of lies, dirty politics, corrupt law enforcement and racial tension—and ends up fearing for her life as she closes in on something she’s never cared about before—the truth about her own origins.
Part of the SECRETS—a series of seven linked novels that can be read in any order.
The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.
Recommended Age, Grade, and Reading Levels
- Age:
- 12 to 18
- Grade:
- 8 to 12
- Reading age:
- 12 to 18
Awards
- Commended, CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens
Editorial Reviews
"An excellent, well written novel about life in by-gone days in the Southern U. S. fraught with race related hate crimes and the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. Highly recommended for Black History Month literature study, race relations investigations and as a springboard into research on civil rights in American history. Also complements women’s issues and equity studies discussions in the classroom and for research assignments. Also highly recommended for recreational reading and literature study groups."
— Resource Links
"Brings to light racial inequality and injustice as well as the collective guilt of an entire community. In this novel, questions are answered, such as what happens when police and elected officials are corrupt, how do bystanders live with their decisions of inaction, and at what cost and worth is challenging the status quo. Overall, My Life Before Me is difficult to put down, the writing style is conversational, yet precise, and the main character is a stunning example of young womanhood and a force to be reckoned with."
— VOYA
"McClintock is the queen of YA crime writing and I’m so impressed with the story she was able to create within the premise of the Secrets series and still accommodate a plot involving murder, mystery, and civil rights...Readers will be impressed by Cady’s strength of character, regardless of the roadblocks constantly placed in her way, and the way she faced adversity with wisdom and poise."
— CanLit for Little Canadians blog
"A sensitive exploration of the appalling, racially motivated prejudice that inflamed even northern areas in the mid-20th century...[Cady's] plucky demeanor adds plausibility to her determined quest...This entry in the Secrets series embeds a tragic past within an engrossing mystery—masterfully."
— Kirkus Reviews
"[A] well-paced historical mystery."
— Booklist Onlline
"Readers will become immersed in different historical periods while reading this work and see how racial tensions permeated events that took place in the 1920s and 1940s. Cady is a realistically drawn character, and teens will find themselves worrying about her and cheering for her as she uncovers the dark truth about several murders that were covered up years earlier...For fans of historical fiction, intrepid female reporters, and uncovering secrets."
— School Library Journal
"A very compelling and readable mystery...The reader feels strongly connected to the main character whose determination and self-confidence make her very likeable. Indeed, it is her character’s perseverance against both gender and racial discrimination that makes the story so compelling. Norah McClintock’s ability to weave two types of inequality—both sexism and racism—into the story allows her to provide a fresh take on the civil rights movement in this book."
— CM Magazine
"Cady is a Holmesian detective and her pleasures are cerebral...The real energy of the story comes from her solving the crime and exposing the corruption of those in power."
— Quill & Quire
