THOSE PINK MOUNTAIN NIGHTS

Berlin Chambers, a Métis 17-year-old, is stunned when she sees her missing classmate near the popular pizza parlor where she works.

Kiki Cheyanne Sound, who is Black and Cree, disappeared five months ago. Exhausted from her evening shift at Pink Mountain Pizza, Berlin is unsure if she can trust her eyes. Nonetheless, she alerts Cameron Sound, her co-worker and childhood nemesis, who’s deeply affected by his cousin’s disappearance but hides his anxiety beneath a relaxed persona. Rule-following, perfectionist Berlin has always been at odds with Cam, but their shared hope that Kiki is alive, renewed by the sighting, forms a fragile bond between them. Unfortunately, bad news soon follows when it’s announced that the pizza parlor will be sold and franchised. Queer, white Jessie Hampton, the newest teen employee, is upset but unsurprised since the restaurant’s purchase is being conducted by her domineering, sexist father whose expectations she defies by working there. When Berlin, who views the loss of this local, Black-owned business as a betrayal of their community, decides to convince the owner to reverse his decision, Jessie and Cam agree to lend their support. Set in Alberta, this introspective, character-driven story examines heavy topics, including Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, depression, and anti-Blackness, with sensitivity and compassion. This sophomore outing by Michif/Métis and white author Ferguson features lyrical prose that softens the emotionally fraught narrative without sacrificing suspense, resulting in a mystery that subtly builds to a shocking reveal.

Intimate and impactful.