Jenn McKay

"The Power of Thirteen cuts straight to the bone. This novel is compact and disturbing, written in prose that has been pierced and tattooed."

                  -Paul Quarrington (2003)

This fresh novel stridently traces the journey of a young woman's struggle to understand the power of her sexuality. The main character, Sarah, discovers the first glimpse of her sexual power in the eyes of a man whose name she doesn't know. After that moment, she strives to be a sexual being, thrashing in unfamiliar waters with no solid guidance from anyone, except the men to whom she surrenders her power.

The emotional abandonment of her father and the death of a close friend make Sarah realize the weight and permanence of her actions. At seventeen, she runs away from it all, returning seven years later to her hometown, Brockville. There, she reconnects with her father from whom she has been estranged, and looks at her life with fresh eyes.

The reader is drawn into the character's worldview, the exploration of the father-daughter relationship, and the journey through sensual awakening.

The Power of Thirteen was originally published in 2003. This digital revision stays true to the first edition with slight changes that offer more understanding of Sarah's struggle.