Books like Janey's Girl by Gayle Friesen

Claire has always felt out of place, but her life takes an unexpected turn when she and her mother visit her grandmother in Smallwood, British Columbia. In the quiet town where her mother grew up, Claire has no memory of her father or her origins. There, she stumbles upon clues that suggest her nickname, “Janey’s girl,” is tied to a long‑lost family connection. As Claire digs into the town’s history, she learns that her father is a divorced man with a young son, who recently returned to Smallwood after years away. The revelation forces both Claire and her mother to confront the consequences of a teenage pregnancy and a relationship that ended abruptly. Through this journey, Claire must decide what family means to her and how to reconcile the past with her present. The novel explores themes of identity, belonging, and the complexities of parent‑child relationships in a small‑town setting, offering a candid look at the challenges of teenage pregnancy and the lasting impact of family secrets.

First publish date: 1998