The Antique picker’s daughter
The first thing you need to know: They’re not antiques.
The second thing you need to know: I’m not his daughter.”
Abandoned first by her father, and then by her mother, Frankie has been left in the care of her deeply religious grandmother. When her grandmother’s religious convictions tip into delusion, Frankie decides to run away.
Life on the street in Toronto is hard, and with winter coming, it gets tougher. This is when Frankie first meets Francis, a man old enough to be her father. He starts training her in “the game,” as she comes to call it; buying, stealing, and reselling “inventory” at inflated prices. Through winter, spring, and early summer, the two become a team, traveling around small towns and villages in southern Ontario.
As Frankie discovers, life on the road holds dangers she can’t anticipate, and her precarious world tips into disaster when Francis abandons her in an unfamiliar town. Betrayed, alone, and deserted, Frankie realizes she’s in a dangerous situation — will she be able to find her way out on her own?
The Antique Picker’s Daughter explores youth homelessness, human trafficking, and one young woman’s search for safety.
Dugan deftly navigates the story of this found and faulted family.”
— Sarah Withrow, author of Bat Summer
The Antique Picker’s Daughter is a gripping look into the dangers and vulnerabilities of survival on the streets. Through Frankie’s sharp, observant eyes, Melanie Dugan masterfully captures the quiet desperation, hypervigilance, and hazardous trust that define the daily realities of unhoused youth. This book serves as a powerful reminder of how easily the world can exploit a young person’s search — and need — for safety, warmth, and family. A hauntingly realistic and important read.
— Christina Kilbourne, author of Safe Harbour
Genre: literary fiction/general fiction
ISBN (Print): 978-1-83421-032-2
ISBN (eBook): 978-1-83421-033-9
Price: CAD $24.95
Contact and ordering information:
inanna.publications@inanna.ca
And now available on Amazon.
Reviews
“Today I’m celebrating the book tour for The Antique Picker’s Daughter by Melanie Dugan! This literary gem takes you on a journey through Ontario's backroads with an unlikely duo bound by antiques and secrets.”
“Readers who appreciate character-driven fiction, unconventional storytelling, and relationships that resist simple conclusions may find this an especially compelling read.”
“The Antique Picker’s Daughter serves up a tale that highlights the intricate search for treasures while balancing a morally gray code of ethics.”