What is Those Pink Mountain Nights about?
In her remarkable second YA contemporary novel following her Governor General’s Award-winning debut, The Summer of Bitter and Sweet, Jen Ferguson writes about the hurt of a life stuck in past tense, the hum of connections that cannot be severed, and one week in a small, snowy town that changes everything.
Overachievement isn’t a bad word—for Berlin, it’s the goal. She’s securing excellent grades, planning her future, and working a part-time job at Pink Mountain Pizza, a legendary local business. Who says she needs a best friend by her side?
Dropping out of high school wasn’t smart—but it was necessary for Cameron. Since his cousin Kiki’s disappearance, it’s hard enough to find the funny side of life, especially when the whole town has forgotten Kiki. To them, she’s just another missing Native girl.
People at school label Jessie a tease, a rich girl—and honestly, she’s both. But Jessie knows she contains multitudes. Maybe her new job crafting pizzas will give her the high-energy outlet she desperately wants.
When the weekend at Pink Mountain Pizza takes several unexpected turns, all three teens will have to acknowledge the various ways they’ve been hurt—and how much they need each other to hold it all together.
Jen Ferguson burst onto the YA scene with her first novel, which was a William C. Morris Award Finalist and a Stonewall Award Honor Book, and this powerful work of social justice fiction fulfills her promise as one of the most thoughtful and exciting YA writers today.
What happens when three teens, each hiding their own pain, are the only ones left to run the town’s legendary pizza shop for a weekend?
- Multiple POV: Jump between the perspectives of Berlin, an overachiever terrified of failing; Cameron, who uses humor to hide his grief; and Jessie, a rich girl with devastating secrets.
- Found Family: Three coworkers who barely know each other must learn to lean on one another when an unexpected crisis leaves them completely on their own.
- Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIWG): A powerful, nuanced exploration of the MMIWG crisis as Cameron grapples with the disappearance of his cousin Kiki, and the town’s indifference to another missing Native girl.
- Friendship Breakup: A thoughtful and authentic look at the heartbreak of a lifelong friendship falling apart, as Berlin tries to understand why her best friend suddenly wants nothing to do with her.