They say Dor’s family is cursed. The house her great-great grandfather built on the south side of St. John’s has never been at peace; the old people think it lies on a fairy path. Ever since electricity came to the island, things have worsened, and experiments in the brand-new technology of radio put her family in real peril. In December 1901, Marconi arrives in Newfoundland with a secret mission: to receive the first wireless trans-Atlantic radio signal. Disguised as a boy, Dor joins his team. Then the Little Strangers kidnap her mother. Must Dor sabotage Marconi's experiments to save her?
The Governor General’s Literary Awards (GGBooks) - Young People’s Literature Text | 2022 | Nominated
NL Reads | 2023 | Nominated
CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens, starred selection | 2022 | Commended
“Yet, anchored by the sweet love story of Clare and Dor, the dreamily atmospheric descriptions of the historical setting, and the appealing characters—including an otherworldly Reverend and his talking crow, Oberon—there is plenty to spur readers on. … A sprawling, lyrical historical fantasy.”
“Kate Story’s Urchin is electric with magic, glittering language, and high-wire tension. Story’s protagonist, non-binary Dor, is a brave spy and adventurer who soars off the page, out the window, through the gloom to the wonderfully terrifying kingdom of the fairies, on a wild quest to save her mother who has been led astray by the little people. This masterful coming-of-age tale is alive with energy and insight, charged with passion and wit. Here’s a queer, ultra-modern, historic St. John’s, where scientific advancement smacks up against potent magic and ancient lore. Sparks fly. Prepare to be zapped with high voltage suspense and megawatts of fun. Prepare to be spellbound.”
“Witty, tender, heartrending, Urchin is the compelling coming of age story of Dor, who must grapple with curses, sabotage, and their very own identity. Urchin beautifully blends history and fantasy, bringing both early 20th-century Newfoundland and its rich fairy lore vividly to life. Protagonist Dor is perhaps the greatest treat of all; a clever, endearing underdog who you root for from start to finish. Kate Story handles Dor’s struggles with gender and sexuality with honesty and grace. A truly valuable novel and a must-read!”