The twenty-one children of the Cardinal family have congregated to celebrate their father, who discovered the mine around which their now-desolate town was built. As the siblings run wild, we discover that Angèle, the only Cardinal with a penchant for happiness, is missing—although everyone pretends not to notice. Why the silence? What secrets does the mine hold? JOCELYNE SAUCIER is the author of several novels, including _Il pleuvait des oiseaux_, which won the Prix des Cinq Continents de la Francophonie.RHONDA MULLINS was shortlisted for the Governor General's Award for her translation of Saucier's _And the Birds Rained Down_.