August 1832 - St. Francis, Western Ontario"A two-wheel buggy rolled across the long grassy prairie near a large manor house. A man in a buckskin coat spied a young woman in a bonnet and a dirty white apron picking beans in the vegetable garden on the other side of the hedgerow. He stopped the buggy and stepped down, carefully picking up a baby boy wrapped in a blue blanket. He slipped through the hedgerow with the child under his arm and laid him down gently in a row of cabbages. He kissed the child's forehead and wiped away his tears before returning to the buggy. With her back to the road, Gerty never noticed the man and the buggy disappearing in the distance. As she collected her basket of green beans for the return to the manor house, she spotted the child in the row of cabbages. She went over and peered down at the boy with his pale bluish complexion. His eyes lit up at the sight of her and Gerty asked: 'What are you doing here, little man?'"From the bestselling author of Playing Rudolf Hess, An Absolute Secret, Shipwrecked Lives, and White Slaves comes this extraordinary novel about the 1832 cholera epidemic in Western Ontario. Young Paolo works for his uncle as a gravedigger during the day and at night he earns a bonus from wealthy clients as a ‘remembrance man’ whose job is to watch over selected graves for signs of the undead. He discovers a young woman who has been buried alive and is drawn into a terrifying story of revenge and insanity. This is a tale of murder, greed, and deceit, and the breakdown of society on the prairie frontier. Family members turn against family members, friends against friends, and soon everyone is out for themselves."AN UNFORGETTABLE TALE OF FEAR AND DESPAIR DURING A CHOLERA EPIDEMIC."Cholera had many nicknames, ‘King Cholera’ and ‘the Blue Death’, due to the bluish pallor of its victims. It caused more deaths than any other disease in the 19th century. People were deathly afraid of cholera and fear spread faster than the disease itself. Cholera victims were simply abandoned on the roads, and wagons were sent around to collect the bodies and bury them in cholera pits. During those dark days, stories spread about reopening coffins in which the dead had apparently revived after burial, only to die in a futile attempt to escape. No one wanted to bury a loved one who might still be alive, which led to the habit of keeping corpses around so that the families could be sure the person had really died.Reader reviews:"A great read," Ainsley MacLellan, CBC Radio Producer "All in a Weekend"."Remembrance Man will give you history, suspense and a fast-moving tale all in one book. A reader cannot ask for more than that." BookSirens"Just finished reading ‘Remembrance Man’ and I was completely blown away by this compelling and extraordinarily crafted fictional novel. The author skillfully draws upon historical facts surrounding the worldwide cholera epidemic in the mid-nineteenth century, to create a thrilling and intense crime story, the kind that gets under your skin and stirs your whole being. There isn’t a dull moment throughout the book." Vivienne Gaudet, Quebec"I really enjoyed the book. It was informative, as well as entertaining. I was invested in the story and in the fate of the Remembrance Man, Paolo, and his love interest, Emily. Also, because of the way the author wrote about additional characters I was in it for them, too. Even with several characters mentioned throughout the book, they were easy to keep up with. This was a can’t put down book for me and I finished it quickly. If you enjoy historical fiction, a twinge of romance, and some mystery and justice pick up this book and give it a read." BookSirens. Read more

"The Ways of the Lonely Ones: A Collection of Mystical Allegories" presents a series of allegorical tales exploring themes of solitude, mysticism, and spiritual journey. Each story delves into profound spiritual and philosophical concepts, offering readers reflective insights into the solitary paths of mystical seekers. Read more

A gripping biography of one of the seventeenth century’s greatest sea captains. Courage, ambition and treachery on the high seas… Perfect for fans of Andrew Lambert, Kevin Jackson, N. A. M. Rodger, and Eric Jay Dolin. In June 1611, Henry Hudson, captain of the Discovery, his young son, and seven other crew members were forced into a small gig and set adrift amongst the ice floes of Hudson Bay. They were never seen again. Shy and aloof, yet courageous and sometimes recklessly daring, English explorer and navigator Hudson made four momentous voyages in 1607, 1608, 1609, and 1610, journeys that greatly expanded geographical knowledge of the New World. Yet it was his obsessive search for the elusive northwest passage – a sea route that would open the way to the riches of the Orient – combined with his poor judge of character and inept leadership that would ultimately result in one of the most notorious events in maritime history. Drawing on a wealth of contemporary material, including Hudson’s official ships’ logs and the private journal he kept during his voyages, Noel B. Gerson vividly brings to life the dramatic events that led to the enactment of the greatest crime on the high seas, mutiny, and the tragic fate of one of England’s foremost discoverer-adventurers. The Magnificent Adventures of Henry Hudson masterfully combines the triumphant spirit of early seventeenth-century maritime adventure with the perilous nature of life at sea. Read more

When strange signs appeared in the sky over Québec during the autumn of 1660, people began to worry about evil forces in their midst. They feared that witches and magicians had arrived in the colony, and a teenaged servant named Barbe Hallay started to act as if she were possessed. The community tried to make sense of what was happening, and why. Priests and nuns performed rituals to drive the demons away, while the bishop and the governor argued about how to investigate their suspicions of witchcraft. A local miller named Daniel Vuil, accused of using his knowledge of the dark arts to torment Hallay, was imprisoned and then executed.Stories of the demonic infestation circulated through the small settlement on the St Lawrence River for several years. In The Possession of Barbe Hallay Mairi Cowan revisits these stories to understand the everyday experiences and deep anxieties of people in New France. Her findings offer insight into beliefs about demonology and witchcraft, the limits of acceptable adolescent behaviour, the dissonance between a Catholic colony in theory and the church’s wavering influence in practice, the contested authority accorded to women as healers, and the insecurities of the colonial project. As the people living through the events knew at the time, and as this study reveals, New France was in a precarious position.The Possession of Barbe Hallay is both a fascinating account of a case of demonic possession and an accessible introduction to social and religious history in early modern North America. Read more

"Altogether superb: an accessible, fluent account that advances scholarship while building a worthy memorial to the victims of two and a half centuries past." —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)In 1755, New England troops embarked on a "great and noble scheme" to expel 18,000 French-speaking Acadians ("the neutral French") from Nova Scotia, killing thousands, separating innumerable families, and driving many into forests where they waged a desperate guerrilla resistance. The right of neutrality; to live in peace from the imperial wars waged between France and England; had been one of the founding values of Acadia; its settlers traded and intermarried freely with native Mikmaq Indians and English Protestants alike. But the Acadians' refusal to swear unconditional allegiance to the British Crown in the mid-eighteenth century gave New Englanders, who had long coveted Nova Scotia's fertile farmland, pretense enough to launch a campaign of ethnic cleansing on a massive scale. John Mack Faragher draws on original research to weave 150 years of history into a gripping narrative of both the civilization of Acadia and the British plot to destroy it. Read more

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The Autobiographical Story of the Opening of the Far NorthThere was a time not so very long ago when the Hudson’s Bay Company ruled the north. A time of silky furs, Indian skirmishes, canoes, “jawbone”, dog sleds, traps, and sourdoughs. Adventure came easy in this silent land of the far north. Henry John Moberly surely had plenty of it. Nearly 50 years he spent among the native and white trappers as a fur trader, trapper, hunter, and explorer. Moberly opened many of HBC’s most remote Trading Posts.The struggles of the north, the unbearable cold, the humor of the frontiersmen, the dangers of the trail and river, and the peace and war times of the natives. This book contains a lifetime of adventure and insights of the true north.Moberly’s When Fur was King is the autobiography of an exceptional man in an exceptional time in history. When hunters and trappers opened the north and blazed the trails for later exploration by prospectors and explorers.Containing an introduction by William Bleasdell Cameron, (the author of Blood Red the Sun, the war trail of big bear, etc) Read more

After the triumphant end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815, the British took it upon themselves to complete something they had been trying to do since the sixteenth century: find the fabled Northwest Passage. For the next thirty-five years the British Admiralty sent out expedition after expedition to probe the ice-bound waters of the Canadian Arctic in search of a route, and then, after 1845, to find Sir John Franklin, the Royal Navy hero who led the last of these Admiralty expeditions. Enthralling and often harrowing, The Man Who Ate His Boots captures the glory and the folly of this ultimately tragic enterprise. Read more

Most of us know bits and pieces of our history but would like to be more sure of how it all fits together. The trick is to find a history that is so absorbing you will want to read it from beginning to end. With this book, Desmond Morton, one of Canada’s most noted and highly respected historians, shows how the choices we can make at the dawn of the 21st century have been shaped by history.Morton is keenly aware of the links connecting our present, our past, and our future, and in one compact and engrossing volume he pulls off the remarkable feat of bringing it all together – from the First Nations before the arrival of the Europeans to the failure of the Charlottetown accord and Jean Chretien’s third term as prime minister. His acute observations on the Diefenbaker era, the effects of the post-war influx of immigrants, the flag debate, the baby boom, the Trudeau years and the constitutional crisis, the Quebec referendum, and the rise of the Canadian Alliance all provide an invaluable background to understanding the way Canada works today. Read more

A lively recounting of the tough men and heroic but overworked packhorses who broke open B.C. to the big business of the 19th century fur trade. Facing a grueling thousand-mile trail, the brigades of the Hudson Bay Company (HBC) pushed onward over mountains and through ferocious river crossings to reach the isolated fur-trading posts. But it wasn’t just the landscape the brigades faced, as First Nations people struggled with the desire to resist, or assist, the fur company’s attempts to build their brigade trails over the Aboriginal trails that led between Indigenous communities, which surrounded the trading posts. Nancy Marguerite Anderson recounts how the devastating Cayuse War of 1847, forced the HBC men over a newly-explored overland trail to Fort Langley. The journey was a disaster-in-waiting. Read more

The incredible story of the discovery of the long-sought Northwest Passage to the Pacific Ocean across North America.Although Mackenzie’s journey to the Pacific Ocean preceded the Lewis and Clark expedition by twelve years he remains much less well-known. This biography restores Mackenzie to his rightful place in the pantheon of great American explorers and should be essential reading for all who enjoy accounts of expeditions into the Far West.On 10th October 1792, Alexander Mackenzie, a Scot born in a remote island of the Outer Hebrides, left Fort Chipewyan to begin his journey across the vast American wilderness to the Pacific coast.Mackenzie had left his Scottish home as a boy after his mother had passed away. Apprenticed to a fur trading company in Montreal he learnt how to survive in the brutal conditions of these uncharted territories.Learning from First Nations people that local rivers flowed to the northwest from Fort Chipewyan, Mackenzie began the first of his astounding exploratory journeys in July 1789, travelling on the river that would eventually be named in his honor all the way to the Arctic Ocean.Noel Gerson’s The Magnificent Adventures of Alexander Mackenzie brings the magnitude of these exploratory journeys to life. He uncovers not only the fascinating figure of Mackenzie himself but also his travelling companions and the awe-inspiring landscapes through which they travelled.Gerson’s “admiration for his subject is well-founded in this sturdy, steadily interesting, biography.” Kirkus Reviews Read more

In "The Last Laird of MacNab," Alexander Fraser intricately weaves a narrative that chronicles the historical settlement of MacNab Township in Upper Canada, presenting a vivid depiction of rural life in the 19th century. Fraser employs a blend of rich descriptive prose and meticulously researched historical facts to illustrate the complexities of agrarian life, land disputes, and the pioneering spirit that characterized the era. The work serves as both a historical record and a poignant exploration of the personal and social dynamics of its time, providing readers with a clear understanding of the region's cultural landscape and its evolution over time. Alexander Fraser, a noted historian and writer with deep roots in Canadian history, draws upon his own familial connections to the MacNab Township, allowing him to approach the story with both emotional connection and historical insight. His scholarly background and passion for uncovering the rich tapestry of local histories imbue the text with authenticity and depth. Fraser's dedication to preserving the legacy of the past is evident, as he seeks to honor the stories of those who shaped the land. This book is highly recommended for historians, local history enthusiasts, and those interested in the human experience of Canadian settlement. Fraser's compelling narrative style and thorough research make "The Last Laird of MacNab" not only an informative read but also a captivating journey into the past that resonates with contemporary themes of heritage and identity. Read more

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May 1914 - St. Lawrence River, Canada"The Empress was listing to starboard at a dangerous angle. Alice and her son Jamie, a little boy in a sailor suit, sat perched on the railing, looking down at the lifeboat in the water. Several dozen people had jumped into the water in desperation. Tom crawled over to Alice and Jamie with two lifebelts under his arm.“Alice put this on,” said Tom.“But I can swim, Tom. You put it on,” replied Alice.“Do it now, dear. I'll hold Jamie."Alice slipped into the lifebelt while Tom held Jamie and locked his hand over the railing. The ship suddenly gave a sharp jerk to starboard and Alice lost her balance slipping off into the water below, leaving her husband and child to fend for themselves."From the bestselling author of Playing Rudolf Hess, An Absolute Secret, Remembrance Man and White Slaves comes this fascinating story about the sinking of the Empress of Ireland passenger liner in the St. Lawrence River on a foggy night in May 1914, claiming the lives of 1,012 people. This is the story of the survivors and the failed government inquiry into Canada's worst maritime disaster that led to a whitewash. It is based on the actual testimony of witnesses at the Commission of Inquiry, which was presided over by Lord Mersey, the gruff and opinionated British jurist and politician. Lord Mersey had led the investigation into the Titanic and the Lusitania disasters but was sorely tested by the Empress Inquiry.It tells the story of the ruined captain of the passenger liner, the woman who survived the disaster and tried unsuccessfully to claim the body of her disfigured son, the Rimouski fisherman whose job was to search the debris field for the bodies of the victims, the Norwegians who were quickly condemned by the press, the shysters and wagon-chasers who fraudulently claimed insurance policies on next of kin, and the government inquiry which pitted a multinational transport industry giant against a tiny Norwegian coal-hauling firm.Reader reviews:"From the very first lines, Kinsey skillfully crafts his novel. We are drawn into the lives of the individuals on the Empress, passengers confused and frightened when loud blasts of the ship's whistle sound and the ship begins to list, then rapidly sink. He weaves the story between the disaster itself and what follows with the survivors in a courtroom as lawyers and witnesses try to unravel the cause of the collision. Kinsey has written a historical novel that is impossible to put down. I found that the transitions from survivor story to courtroom events held my interest from start to finish." Rosalie Grosch, The Norwegian American Journal."As a Maritimer, I've always been familiar with the stories of the Titanic and the Atlantic. The sinking of the Empress of Ireland is certainly a tragedy I'd heard of but it wasn't a story I knew much about. I found Nicholas Kinsey's book absolutely fascinating and could certainly draw parallels between the Empress of Ireland's tragic sinking and the Lusitania's. They both happened so quickly that there was absolute chaos on the decks. They also both resulted in intense inquiries afterwards. The historical research was first-rate and based on primary sources. Though the book is historical fiction, the facts shone through and it was presented in a very readable way. An important (though terribly sad) part of Canadian history that more people should learn about." BookSirens."This book offered a fascinating look into a shipwreck that occurred in Canada in 1914. I liked that the author focused on characters from all the different sides of the disaster and its aftermath. I also appreciated all the historical details woven into the story." Goodreads. Read more

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In 1864, thirty-three delegates from five provincial legislatures came to Quebec City to pursue the idea of uniting all the provinces of British North America. The American Civil War, not yet over, encouraged the small and barely defended provinces to consider uniting for mutual protection. But there were other factors: the rapid expansion of railways and steamships spurred visions of a continent-spanning new nation.   Federation, in principle, had been agreed on at the Charlottetown conference, but now it was time to debate the difficult issues of how a new nation would be formed. The delegates included John A. Macdonald, George Etienne-Cartier, and George Brown. Historian Christopher Moore demonstrates that Macdonald, the future prime minister, surprisingly was not the most significant player here, and Canada could have become a very different place.   The significance of this conference is played out in Canadian news each day. The main point of contention at the time was the issue of power—a strong federal body versus stronger provincial rights. Because of this conference, we have an elected House of Commons, an appointed Senate, a federal Parliament, and provincial legislatures. We have what amounts to a Canadian system of checks and balances. Did it work then, and does it work now? Read more

In June, 1671 Jeanne Marguerite Chevalier left France to find a new life in Quebec, as a Fille du Roi (King’s Daughter) sent by Louis XIV to help settle the new colony. Arriving two months later, this remarkable woman went on to marry and then outlive three husbands and survive the births of nine children and the deaths of six of them. Impoverished by her first husband, she worked with the second to establish one of the largest landholdings in the region. Her marriage with the third one brought an almost fairy tale ending to her life. Despite an incredible number of challenges, dangers and sorrows, Jeanne was able to create a life for herself and her children that she could never have imagined if she had stayed in France. When she died at the age of 73 in 1716, she left a long line of descendants, including René Lévesque, the 23rd Premier of Quebec, the American writer Jack Kerouac, and the author’s father. Written by her eighth great grand-daughter 300 years after her death, Jeanne Chevalier Fille du Roi is an engaging story, full of facts, mysteries, and unknowns. It’s a story of endings and new beginnings. And it’s a story of much courage, stamina, will, and many choices. Factually and contextually based, it also provides glimpses into everyday life in 17th and early 18th century Quebec as well as many insights into the creation of the unique Quebecois heritage. Read more

In 1760, General Jeffery Amherst led the British campaign that captured Montreal and began the end of French colonial rule in North America. All Canada in the Hands of the British is a detailed account of Amherst’s successful military strategy and soldiers’ experiences on both sides.Newly promoted general Jeffery Amherst took command of British forces in North America in 1759 and soon secured victories at Fort Duquesne, Louisbourg, Quebec, Fort Ticonderoga, and Niagara. In 1760 William Pitt, head of the British government, commanded Amherst to eliminate French rule in Canada. During the ensuing campaign, Amherst confronted French resurgence at Quebec and mounted sieges at Isle aux Noix and Fort Lévis, both of which were made difficult by French strategic placements on nearby islands. As historian Douglas R. Cubbison demonstrates, however, Amherst was well before his time in strategy and tactics, and his forces crushed French resistance.In this first book-length study of Amherst’s campaign, Cubbison examines the three principal columns that Amherst’s army comprised, only one of which was under his direct command. Cubbison argues that Amherst’s success against the French relied on his employment of command, control, communications, and intelligence. Cubbison also shows how well Brigadier General James Murray’s use of what is today called population-centric counterinsurgency corresponded with Amherst’s strategic oversight and victory.Using archival materials, archaeological evidence, and the firsthand accounts of junior provincial soldiers, Cubbison takes us from the eighteenth-century antagonisms between the British and French in the New World through the Seven Years’ War, to the final siege and its historic significance for colonial Canada. In one of the most decisive victories of the Seven Years’ War, Amherst was able, after a mere four weeks, to claim all of Canada. All Canada in the Hands of the British will change how military historians and enthusiasts understand the nature of British colonial battle strategy. Read more

Winner of the New York Society of Colonial Wars Annual Book Award Fought in New York, New England, and Canada, the Conflict that Began the Long French and English Struggle for the New World  While much has been written on the French and Indian War of 1754–1763, the colonial conflicts that preceded it have received comparatively little attention. Yet in King William’s War, the first clash between England and France for control of North America, the patterns of conflict for the next seventy years were laid, as were the goals and objectives of both sides, as well as the realization that the colonies of the two nations could not coexist.    King William’s War actually encompassed several proxy wars being fought by the English and the French through their native allies. The Beaver Wars was a long running feud between the Iroquois Confederacy, New France, and New France’s native allies over control of the lucrative fur trade. Fueled by English guns and money, the Iroquois attempted to divert the French fur trade towards their English trading partners in Albany, and in the process gain control over other Indian tribes. To the east the pro-French Wabanaki of Maine, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick had earlier fought a war with New England, but English expansion and French urgings, aided by foolish moves and political blunders on the part of New England, erupted into a second Wabanaki War on the eve of King William’s War. Thus, these two conflicts officially became one with the arrival of news of a declaration of war between France and England in 1689. The next nine years saw coordinated attacks, including French assaults on Schenectady, New York, and Massachusetts, and English attacks around Montreal and on Nova Scotia. The war ended diplomatically, but started again five years later in Queen Anne’s War.    A riveting history full of memorable characters and events, and supported by extensive primary source material, King William’s War: The First Contest for North America, 1689–1697 by Michael G. Laramie is the first book-length treatment of a war that proved crucial to the future of North America.  Read more

A line of nervous young women got off a ship in Victoria Harbour in 1862 and had to walk the gauntlet between two rows of jostling, eager men. One girl, proposed to on the spot, accepted equally quickly and left town with her new husband. Why did these women leave everything behind in England and come to the west coast? The answers lie in the lusty turmoil of a gold-rush frontier, the horrible disruptions of industrial England and the conflicting aims of earnest Christians and early British feminists. Read more