Revenge On The Fly By Sylvia McNicoll
It’s the summer of 1912 and William Alton is traveling from Ireland to Canada to start a new life. William and his father, Arthur, will be reunited with Will’s Uncle Charlie and Will is to start school. The impoverished Altons have lost both Will’s mom and sister, Colleen, to disease, and their grief is palpable.
Life in Canada is difficult for Will and his father as they discover that many Canadians don’t like the Irish. But soon Will learns of a contest that could change his life.
Dr. Roberts from the Health Department wants to spread the word that flies carry killer diseases like summer complaint and consumption – diseases that killed Will’s family. As such, Dr. Roberts is starting a contest to find the child that can kill the most flies. The winner will get $50!
Will is determined to win. $50 – a large sum of money in 1912 — would help his father buy a house. But better yet, winning the contest would allow him to avenge the deaths of his mother and sister, and save other people from disease along the way.
As the contest progresses, Will must compete against his arch enemy, Fred Leckie. But he also becomes friends with Ginny Malone and her family and Rebecca Edwards, all of whom are behind him 100%. Eventually Will learns that friendship and family are more important than winning.
If you’re looking for some Canadian historical fiction, Revenge On The Fly is a great place to start!