The Antique Picker's Daughter is a gripping look into the dangers and vulnerabilities of survival on the streets. Through Frankie's sharp, observant eyes, Melanie Dugan masterfully captures the quiet desperation, hypervigilance, and hazardous trust that define the daily realities of unhoused youth. This book serves as a powerful reminder of how easily the world can exploit a young person's search - and need - for safety, warmth, and family. A hauntingly realistic and important read. Christina Kilbourne, author of Safe Harbour

The Antique Picker's Daughter is a captivating novel that draws readers instantly into Frankie's world. Set against the familiar backroads and small towns of southern Ontario, Melanie Dugan crafts a memorable story of found family and the courage it takes to trust others as well as oneself. A heartfelt, engaging read that will appeal to a wide range of fiction lovers. Alice Robinette-Woods, librarian at Kingston Frontenac Public Library

"She's fifteen years old, homeless, cold, and hungry on the mean streets of Toronto when she meets Francis, the Antique Picker, who says she reminds him of his daughter. Reluctantly, she agrees to join him scouring the small towns of Ontario for treasures - preferably ones their owners don't know are valuable. He even gives her his name: they are Francis Person, the Antique Picker, and Frances/Frankie Person, his daughter. It's a pure pleasure to spend time with them on the backroads. But when he asks her to steal, and his mood suddenly shifts, Frankie must ask herself whether it's time to walk away from the good thing they've got going. It turns out the key to Frankie's future may lie in the Antique Picker's past. Dugan deftly navigates the story of this found and faulted family - one that makes Frankie feel like a wanted Person for the first time in her life." - Sarah Withrow, author of What Gloria Wants