Susan Laidlaw was awarded the 2014 IODE Violet Downey Award for her debut novel AN INFIDEL IN PARADISE.
The annual award is given to the best English language book suitable for children aged 13 and under, and contains at least 500 words of text (preferably with Canadian content) in any category. A panel of ten judges, who are IODE members and specialists in the field of children’s literature, select the winning book.
AN INFIDEL IN PARADISE is the story of sixteen-year-old Emma who is the daughter of a Canadian diplomat. As a result, Emma is accustomed to moving, changing sceneries and cultures. But when her parents split up and she and her siblings are uprooted to Pakistan with her mother, Emma is overwhelmed by culture shock and her feelings of loss. Complicating things further, she soon finds herself attracted to a local boy who is promised to someone else. Emma’s life quickly becomes chaotic putting her and those she loves in danger.
For more on this award please visit the IODE website.