Qualicum Beach author Laura Langston has just published her 21st book for young adults, titled ‘No Right Thing’.
The book was published April 27 by Crwth Press and is set in the Parksville Qualicum Beach area.
Langston, originally from Victoria but who relocated to Qualicum Beach, said it was only natural to use the local setting for her latest novel.
“This area was like a second home to us because even when we lived in Victoria, we’d spend summers as a family at Rathrevor Beach.”
Excited to be a permanent resident in the area, Langston drew on her knowledge as the background for her story.
‘No Right Thing’ is a young adult novel about 16-year-old Cate Sheridan, who believes in always doing the right thing. So, when Cate sees a homeless man about to be hit by a truck, she does the only right thing, pulls him to safety.
“I place the accident on Memorial, within sight of the farmer’s market,” said Langston. “And while I took some literary licence with the novel — there is no bike police patrol in Qualicum, for instance, and Cate works at a fictional grocery store — I used local landmarks wherever I could.”
After the accident, Cate and her friend, Noah, learn the man they rescued is famous musician Max Le Bould, who disappeared years earlier. Cate and Noah become instant heroes. The media shows up. So does Cate’s mother, journalist Cynthia Patrice, who left when Cate is caught in the middle of a moral dilemma. And when she makes a decision that leads to betrayal, tragedy and heartache, she learns a hard lesson: sometimes people have all the right reasons for doing a very wrong thing.
Langston found it especially satisfying to set the story in her new community.
“It gave me the perfect excuse to get away from my desk and wander Heritage Forest and parts of Rathrevor I hadn’t explored for years,” she said. “To see the town through the eyes of a teen and try a few of the local restaurants that I mention in the story, too.”
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most of the restaurants are currently closed or limited to take out. While Langston admits it’s odd and sad to see the changes brought about by the pandemic, she holds on to Dr. Bonnie Henry’s oft-repeated statement that it’s not forever, it’s just for now.
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“And I’m grateful to be a writer these days because I know how much pleasure and escape I get from reading,” said Langston. “I hope my books can offer the same joy to others.”
— NEWS Staff, submitted
