Chapter 29

“Oh, and what does it mean?” Simon asked, flipping back his cape.

“The country in question is Canada. The older brother, I’m assuming, is America. The wording in French that Joanne found so familiar is a Quebecois saying, part of a longer passage that refers to its parentage. France started the colony, but it was overtaken by England, which made Quebec part of the colony that eventually became Canada.”

“So why was there a second part?” asked Simon. “You did not need any other clue to decipher Joanne’s memory, so why is it important?”

“I have many memories of Canada,” Mrs. Parks interjected. “Although I am beginning to suspect which one it is, from the wording. Go on, Fox. I’m sure you’ve figured it out.”

“‘Children of a common mother’ is an inscription on the Peace Arch, a site at one of the American-Canadian border crossings. It refers to the fact that they were once colonies of England—the Rose.”