Sonja & Carl
A Novel
Sonja Danychuk, a serious and introverted student with dirt-poor immigrant parents, takes pride in her intellectual and academic achievements—essential skills to help her survive and eventually leave small-town Davenport in Northern Ontario. When her father is cut down by a fatal heart attack, Sonja must find a way to pay for university, so she agrees to tutor Carl Helbig, her high school's hockey star and NHL hopeful, despite her strong aversion to his jock-like persona.
Carl graduates and heads toward becoming Rookie of the Year for the Boston Bruins, but concussion-prone, he he finds himself in the brain trauma unit of the Toronto General. He and Sonja are once again drawn together, but this time the risks are life-threatening. Sonja is faced with a decision that will impact both her and Carl, and their uncertain future.
Suzanne Hillier is a former school teacher and lawyer who loves to cook for her family, cheer on the Toronto Blue Jays, and spoil her many grandchildren. Since retiring from her law firm, she has succumbed to her first love: writing.