Canada Books

Perhaps more than any other English-speaking author, Graham Swift is able to capture the poignancy, the thwarted emotions, and the poetry which can lie behind seemingly mundane lives. Although not as well-known as "Waterland" or "Last Orders" (which cover much the same emotional landscape), "The Sweet-shop Owner" seems to be their equal in quality. The novel covers one day in the life of an aging, lower-middle-class man, moving back and forth from the minutia of his business routine to the painful memories of his failures as a husband and a father. Swift's prose really is a joy to read -- at its best he can create a "Madame Bovary" sort of mood -- and he can create vividly believable supporting characters, like the drab shop assistant who has centered all of her hopes on marriage with her boss or the self-indulgent teenager who nevertheless finds herself awkwardly responding to the title character's decency.

From the first sentence, I draw into this poignant, spellbinding story. Although I think Willy, his wife and his daughter hurt each other and all of them become victim, I could identify with any of them.

An exceptional first novel from an important novelist, thus 5 stars. Here, Graham Swift looks at boundaries: The narrow geographical boundaries of the small London suburb in which the story is set ("We never moved out of these narrow bounds. Born here, schooled here, worked here,") and the narrow emotional boundaries of his characters' relationships (The paragraph continues, "And even when I met her I stood here on the common and thought: enough, now everything is in its place, and I in mine.") The theme of narrow boundaries is deftly rendered in the relationship of the sweet-shop owner, Willie Chapman, and his wife Irene who, from the start, sets the limits of their relationship, and in the father/daughter and the mother/daughter relationships, all locked within narrow confines.
Swift is quoted as saying: "I think if you know that you have a talent, then . . . you should try not to dissipate it. You should try to hold onto it and keep it, concentrate it - not to do as the whole world tends to do these days, and diversify. Diversification doesn't work with art. Keep the old firm in business, don't go into other fields of trade." Although some believe that his later work reveals a talent as a dramatist, may his "old firm" of novel writing thrive well into the future.

I was browsing the FAQ on Elizabeth George's website where it said that Graham Swift was one of her favorite authors. Elizabeth George is my favorite author (I highly recomend reading her book For The Sake Of Elena or Deception On His Mind) so I decided to give him a try. I am very glad that I did. Graham Swift came close to replacing her as my favorite author. This book is one of the best that I have ever read, and I have since devoured everything that he has published. This book had a deep effect on me and if you read it, I think you will find it a very rewarding experience.

This book feels like life. I know the characters,I know the land, I know the era.

I picked up Tim Wynveen's book by chance, not knowing where it would take me. What I discovered was a gem of Canadian fiction, not unlike Margaret Lawrence. Wynveen demands an emotional connection from the reader, which I couldn't help but offer. His knowledge of music is impeccable, and his skill for combining words and music within the context of a novel is original and impressive. He weaves the two mediums together without dropping a stitch. It made me look at the world, and my connection to my siblings in a new and positive way. It is a sweet life...

I'm not a big reader. I rarely read a novel in its entirety, yet the moment I read the first page of Sweeter Life, I was hooked. This book is a beautiful story about music, and about siblings. If you have a sibling, or even if you don't, this book is very enjoyable. Also, if you have an interest in music, you will be happy to know that Tim Wynveen, a former professional musician, is very knowlegable. Sweeter Life is a fantastic novel. It is one of those novels that make you see the world in a different way... ABSOLUTELY SWEET...

I'm not a big reader. I rarely read a novel in its entirety, yet the moment I read the first page of Sweeter Life, I was hooked. This book is a beautiful story about music, and about siblings. If you have a sibling, or even if you don't, this book is very enjoyable. Also, if you have an interest in music, you will be happy to know that Tim Wynveen, a former professional musician, is very knowlegable. Sweeter Life is a fantastic novel. It is one of those novels that make you see the world in a different way... ABSOLUTELY SWEET...

I'm looking forward to reading this book after seeing what it inspired locally. A local woman set up a project after reading this book. The project, called Give-A-Kid-A-Backpack, collects gently used backpacks and supplies to fill them, then gives them to needy children in Ecuador.
Any book that can get that kind of activism going must be remarkable.

I have been following Craig's remarkable story on Oprah for the last couple of years. As soon as I saw on the Oprah show that he had a new book out, I searched high and low until I found it on the free the children web site for my kids. I had bought his last book and my two daughters loved it! The Take Action is simply great. It gives them ways to become socailly involved and tells them in langauge they can understand. They are already using its fundraising and public speaking tools. I wish every school library had a copy.

I recently bought this book for my children and they simply refuse to put it down. They are organizing a fundraiser for a local charity and getting their entire class involved and this remarkable resource is showing them how. I also saw Craig on Oprah and was so moved by his story and after seeing Oprah's major support of his organization, I went out and got the book. Oprah was right again! Craig and his brother are inspirations to all children and young people. I think every parent who wants to inspire their kids should buy this book.

Take Action is an excellent resource book for classroom teachers ! The step by step guide to student involvement in social issues has been a great help in encouraging my students to take positive action in the community. The book is very attractive with colorful layouts, pictures and presentations. It has been immensely popular with my students. Great work! Well worth purchasing! I am looking forward to a French edition!

Nice cookbook with some authentic Quebecois recipes. If you enjoy Quebec cuisine then this book is work adding to your collection.

French-Canadians and New England's Franco-Americans will be delighted with the presentation in this supberb cookbook because the recipes reflect the traditions of the French culture in North America. Pictures are beautiful and a history of each dish is provided.

I really enjoyed this book - it breaks the recipes down according to Quebec regions and is rich in history and the stories behind the recipes. It has everything from Eggs in Maple Syrup (!), various versions of Meat Pie (Tourtiere), various Sugar Pie recipes, and finally, to the famous Jo Louis cream filled cake that started the Jo Louis empire. Every French Canadian person I've ever showed the recipe book to has immediately wanted a copy of it. Highly recommended!

I bought this book last March to recreate some favorite dishes for my French Canadian boyfriend here in Los Angeles. We have made several dishes together, and all were proclaimed a great success (by him, the expert taster!). It is an enjoyable book as well, dividing the culinary landscape into regions with intros etc. that made me more educated about Quebec regional cooking. I highly recommend this book.

This non-fiction account of wartime activity is brilliantly written and historians should take note - Although this is a historical document, McIntosh grabs his reader by the throat in a page-turner that reads like a No. 1 best-selling thriller - but with such unusual tenderness. Whatever you like reading, you're almost certain to love this. It is an excellent read and I can guarantee that long after reading this book, you'll still be thinking about it. Outstanding.

This book ranks among the best--Farley Mowat's "And No Birds Sang", included--about a Canadian's experiences during the Second World War. It is, however, not always a light-hearted account, and by no means a glorification of war. As is readily clear, McIntosh--like many of his peers--was not an overly enthusiastic participant, yet undertook his duty with much courage. Terror in the starboard Seat is a fine testament to this courage as well as the sacrifice that so many made in order to rid the world of Naziism.

This book kept me up until 4 in the morning, laughing, crying. It's got it all. RCAF navigator McIntosh wrote with pathos and honesty. He puts you right inside the Mosquito with his Jewish/American pilot, with whom he had a kind of Butch & Sundance relationship, all that same kind of loyalty and snappy reparte. This is one of the best WWII books I've ever read. Just like with a great suspense novel, you'll find yourself really whipping those pages over. And yet, I was sorry it had to end.

Perhaps it comes from living next door to Americans, but Canadians have a knack for staring tragedy in the face and remembering something to laugh about afterwards. It's little wonder that many of the funniest modern comedians, from John Belushi to Peter Jennings, are Canadians.

World War II produced "the greatest generation," says Tom Brokaw, who wasn't there. Dave McIntosh was there, flying 41 combat missions in the navigator's seat of a Mosquito night fighter, and he calls it "the scardest generation." It takes common sense to be afraid; fear is often the one element that provides the extra margin of caution needed for survival.

It helps explain why the 24 Mossies of 418 Squadron achieved the highest scores in RCAF history, with 105 aircraft destroyed in the air, 74 on the ground, 9 probables, 103 damaged and 83 V-1s destroyed. Not bad for planes built of Ecuador balsa, Alaska spruce, Canadian birch and fir, and English ash, often by furniture makers. The twin engine Mosquito had a crew of two, but it carried the same weight of bombs as a B-17 and could fly at 400 miles an hour.

Granted, McIntosh volunteered for the RCAF. He schemed to get into 418 City of Edmonton squadron, which flew night intruder missions. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, one of Canada's highest awards for valor. He wasn't looking for a safe and comfortable seat to sit out the war. Most veterans who've been in actual combat have little to say; those who do talk often emphasize the humor. One of their favorite songs had the lines, "When the compass course is west, that's the time that I love best" -- in other words, heading home, away from the enemy. It's little wonder he took until 1980 to write this book.

It's a different kind of war memoir. Americans brag, Brits keep a stiff upper lip, Germans are betrayed heroes, Russians are `zhlobi' -- crude and uncouth. Canadians are like hockey players in a power play on the goal -- all of the above, and then some. It has the same mood as `The Corvette Navy' by J. B. Lamb, the loneliness of fighting men who are trivialized by everyone not in combat. Only the Canadian military trains "zombies." There's a common feeling the government compromises anything to avoid upsetting anyone on the home front -- an attitude American soldiers didn't acquire until the Vietnam.

Sidney Seid, a San Francisco Jew who joined the RCAF before Pearl Harbour, was the driver (pilots were never called pilots) for McIntosh. Seid loyally stayed with the Canadians even though he could have doubled his pay by in the US forces. It wasn't an easy life. McIntosh tells of one crew that spent its ops circling off the coast of Holland, afraid to cross into enemy territory, faking complete combat reports including targets visited, burning bombers, fires, weather, the whole thing. It was one way to cope with the terror of facing the enemy.

Canadian aircrews flew operations, or "ops." The American "missions" sounded too much like a crusade. On one occasion, on night ops over Holland, McIntosh and his driver suddenly heard a English voice in their earphones, "Waggle your wings . . . or you'll burn." The driver waggled. Wildly. "OK, son" the voice added. A British night fighter had found them in the dark; had they been caught by a German plane, they wouldn't have heard the bullets hit.

No wonder McIntosh was scared. But, as he told an army friend just back from the D-Day landings, "At least when I'm shot at I can run away at 400 miles an hour." His friend replied, "Hell, that's nothing, you should see me." Yet, for more than 41 ops -- if they were chasing Buzz Bombs, or only went a short distance over Europe, it was only half an op -- they went back again and again.

Any veteran will sympathize. Non veterans can only wonder how they did it.

McIntosh, who became a Canadian Press reporter after the war, presents a vivid story of the deadly realities of war. It's too good of a story ever to be made into a movie; but then, life is generally far better than any movie. So is this book.

They Never Surrendered: The Lakota Sioux Band That Stayed In CanadaA very well researched and presented history of the "Wood Mountain Lakota" who remained in Canada after the surrender of Sitting Bull in 1881.
This book is full of endnotes, appendices, maps and photos, and is a must for anyone interested in the Sioux in Canada.
Well worth the money!

This book clears up the mystery of what happened to the Lakota Sioux who escaped to Canada with Sitting Bull, but never returned to the United States. This is the lost band of Lakota Sioux. Their exact number is calculated. In fact, the whole book is well documented with over 200 endnotes throughout the work. Also, new information about Wounded Knee and the two famous Lakota Chiefs named "Black Moon". The author has taken the time to go up to Canada and get to know the people he writes about. Well done!

Here is a quote from a Lakota Sioux living at the Cheyenne River reservation in South Dakota:

"I have read "They Never Surrendered" by Ron Papandrea. His research on the Lakota who won the Battle of the Little Big Horn, and escaped the army by crossing the Medicine Line into Canada, is a valuable work for anyone interested in learning about my people. It covers a little known part of Lakota, American and Canadian history. As a person who is a descendant of these Lakota men and women, I consider this book an important record."

Jerry R. Farlee
Cetan Wasaka
Ohenumpa Lakota Mi Yelo

Two Kettle Spiritual Leader

I am the author of this book. I would like everyone to know that this book has been awarded a bronze medal by Indpendent Publisher Magagzine (IPPY Award). As an independent author who has struggled to have this book recognized, this is a very gratifying honor. If anyone buys this book and is not satisfied with it, I will refund their money, including shipping costs. Just email me at: ronpapandrea@gmail.com

I have to say, it is a little weird, but I liked it. A story a little mystarious (as you can probably tell by the cover) and yet more. It is fairly short (210 pages, to be exact), but kept me interested 'till the end.

Dec is a great narrator - totally reliable for a teen. The story is short and would probably qualify as "high interest" for lower level or on-level 9th graders. There was a twist or two that I did not see coming, which makes the book a good choice for serious readers as well. The best part about the book, however, is the conglomeration of friends Dec has at school. This is a group of high achievers who consider rationalizing a teacher out of existence, or spending a day without using any words with "O" in them is fun - where do they really come from? I would recommend this book for teachers and students.

Sixteen-year-old Declan Steeple hasn't seen his free-spirited mother Lindy in six years. His father Bernard has moved on with his life, creating a new family with his girlfriend Birdie and Dec's little sister Sunny. Bernard is content with his life in the present while pursuing his hobby building miniature models of famous battles in history. Dec would rather just face the future when he could leave his family's home and perhaps pursue a career in architecture.

Then one day, Dec and Sunny come across the body of a mysterious intruder in Steeple Hall, his father's family home where Dec had spent his early childhood years before Lindy left. Dec briefly met the intruder when he hitched a ride from him a few weeks before and thinks that because he accidentally mentioned a secret road leading to the old house, this prompted the man to take a chance at burglary. When Sunny mentions that a bust of Plato was placed on a side table instead of by the fallen bookshelf where it once sat, Dec begins to think that something far more sinister has taken place.

The mysterious death causes Dec to begin having visions of his mother as he remembered her when he was a young child: Lindy being dressed as Wonder Woman, Lindy and Dec playing hide-and-seek with a frustrated Bernard, and Lindy telling a young Dec to rescue her from the manor. The visions are hazy and surreal, making Dec wonder if they are really memories or just dreams. He decides to ask Bernard and Birdie questions about Lindy, but they're unwilling to reveal many details especially as to why Lindy left. Frustrated, Dec seeks refuge in Steeple Hall and confides in his best friend Ezra, a quirky science geek who helps him make sense of the bizarre visions.

As time goes by, Dec slowly pieces together the confusing puzzle of visions. What the puzzle reveals to Dec changes everything he thought he knew once again. There are revelations about his family, Lindy's disappearance, and the mysterious dead intruder. THE THIEF IN THE HOUSE OF MEMORY is a mystery that portrays the complexities of friendships and family, while set against the backdrop of a house harboring mysteries of its own. It's a book that is sure to be pleasantly thought-provoking for readers.
[...]

A Thief in the House of Memory is a young adult book that is one of those books that would almost make a better movie. It's an incredibility well written story and follows a teenager who changes his mind about people that he interacts with all the time. Through the way the author wrote the book, my idea of the characters changed as well. Tim Wynne-Jones grabbed my emotions by changing my approach and assumptions of the other characters and himself. It jumps around from the present time to past memories which make the book contrasting but often confusing. It can get confusing at first for a reader so I advise you to read slowly and carefully to follow the book correctly. I did find it very interesting because it was from a teenager's prospective which made it out of the ordinary from books I have read before. I would suggest it to anyone who has time to sit down, have patience, and follow the book!
The book is about a young teenager named Dec who has a lot to live up to. He is a descendent from a long line of famous governors, but his father, Mr. Steeple broke that chain of politics after being abandoned by his wife. This hurt Mr. Steeple as much as it hurt his young son and infant daughter. They had had everything in their life, money, friends, and power, or so they thought. But as we learn though Dec's memories throughout the book, that isn't enough for a family to function. After years of fighting, Lindy, Dec's mother, had had it. She stole a car and ran from her flawless family; she just couldn't stand appearing to be perfect. Leaving a broken family that realized a family can't be bought, it has to be worked for and built on a foundation of trust and love.

Teenagers who love the game (and older folks as well) will enjoy this book. Lots of information and makes interesting reading.

But where else will you find info on every major league club since 1876? (But not since 1871; the National Association is not included.) Top players' season stats are usually given for each team, and say, Hoss Radbourne's 1884 season is discussed in detail, but to me the primary focus seemed on the owners and their machinations. And purposely or not, the owners generally come off as a bunch of money grubbers who seldom had the good of the game at heart. Or maybe that type of owner is just more interesting to write about. One noticeable thing is that because of the many franchise shifts in the 19th century, there are roughly as many 19th century clubs to write about as 20th century. Of course, since many of the 19th century clubs were short-lived, they take up less space on average. Each team's record, where it placed in the league standings, and its managers are given for each year in a table at the end of that team's entry. However, there are no tables of league standings showing all teams at once; nor are there any tables of player performances included anywhere. Some interesting note about players and others are in brief sidebars and footbars.

I debated about rating the book four stars, since it spends so much time on the business end of baseball, but decided to go with five stars, as where else will you find narrative histories of all the major league baseball clubs in one inexpensive book?

As a fan of both history and baseball, a book like this appeals to me in two ways. The history of the game as told through the histories of every team, as well as the events of baseball told as how they affected the teams involved. This book lists the histories of every major league professional team. Now there are those who would argue that a league like the Union Association or even the Players League of the late 1800s weren't really "major" leagues, but I'll leave that argument to others. The teams are listed in alphabetical order from the "infamous" Altoona Mountain Citys (who played for a city with the lowest population of any major league team) through the Worcester Brown Stockings of the 1890s NL (who also had a low population).

Each teams' history is given in complete and concise detail, along with any other names the team may have had during their existence, all the stadiums they played at, their all-time won-loss record, a list of their year by year record, and also certain anecdotes (designated by small "boxes") about team historical events. There are also stories and pictures about each team's famous and "infamous" players. There's also histories of the "other" major leagues, like the Union Association, Federal League, Players' League, and the American Association. It's intriguing to see how the movers and shakers of each era operated. One thing also becomes clear: each era of baseball always had its rich and poor teams, this isn't something that just recently started. Another interesting item I noticed was how many MidWest and Eastern cities had a number of different teams in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

At times humorous, at times sad, at times just plain weird, the history of baseball teams reflects society at its best and its worst. This is a book any baseball fan should have.

This is an excellent book that will inform even the most diehard fan about the history of every MLB Ballclub. It seems to be extremely comprehensive in its coverage, but that only includes "white" teams. Unless I have overlooked them (which is possible), I couldn't find any coverage of the Negro Leagues. I can't imagine it would have been that hard to include them.

The articles contained within the book vary based on how long the team has been/was in existence. For instance, the Cubs, Cardinals, Yankees and Red Sox have longer writeups than the Mariners, Expos and Orioles.

It gives histories based on the actual team in a certain city and then gives a new history that starts after the team moved (ie Philadelphia A's, Kansas A's and Oakland A's each have their own sections). It also gives separate histories for when a team changes cities and franchises completely (ie the St. Louis Browns to the Baltimore Orioles, or the Washington Senators to the Minnesota Twins and the Texas Rangers). There are also separate histories for the two Washington Senators franchises, as well as tons of short writeups about previous teams in certain cities (ie the Baltimore Orioles - they were a successful team in the late 1890's and then dropped the name for many years until the Browns relocated there).

I have a hard time believing that you will be able to find a more comprehensive book about the franchises that have existed since baseball began. There is more information here for the price than anywhere else that I have seen. I gave it four stars instead of five due to the lack of Negro League teams (even though I admit I could have missed them). All in all, this is one heck of a great buy!!

This guide uses a simple key to identify most common (and a few uncommon)trees in the Eastern US and Canada. At the end of the search are some of the most interesting facts and details I've found. At this price, this book should be in everybody's hip pocket every time you enter the woods!

The information is sound and proven. It is a very easy to reference guide and is easily organized. It's also a relatively pocket-sized book which makes it excellent for carrying in the field (where it can be best put to use anyway).

The only downsides are that the book's content is about 60 years old so all of the pictures are in black and white. That and the pages are done in regular paper instead of something glossy. Consequently, if you take it in the field with you a lot, the pages will get dirty fast. If they'd simply do a full-color revision on some glossy paper stock it'd get the full five stars.

I used it in my Biology class and i decided to get a copy for myself, it is a great easy to use tree identifier. It is much nicer than the Audobon series.

I have used this book for over 25 years and still come back to it every time, that someone has a question about trees. It gives clear concise descriptions of not only the leaves, but bark and twigs. It has many trees in it that other books omit, and I find that is many times a fairly common tree that is overlooked.

My daughter used the book for High School Biology, now my 14 yo son is using it and younger son is using it in his life science course.

This is the sequel to Kelley,s "The Black Donnellys";the story of Canada's most barbaric feud.This was a true story of 35 years of fighting,feuding,barn burning,animal mutilation,revenge and mayhem that ended in the massacre of 5 Donnelly family members on February 4,1880.This massacre was carried out by a Vigilante
Group.See my review of that book on January 29,2006;and visit the super web site "The Black Donnellys"for the whole story, many excellent pictures and lots of information.
Kelly was the first author to write a book on this all but forgotten tragedy in 1954.He ignited a great interest in the whole story.He was not,nor did he ever profess to be a historian.He was a very successful pulp fiction writer.In fact he was probably the greatest Canada ever had,and his books sold in the millions.He was somewhat like Ned Buntline ,a New Yorker,who went out west and was one of the most popular pulp fiction writers of the Wild West.Kelly would find a story that he felt would interest a lot of people,spend some time to learn the essence,then set about to tell it,filling in the details where necessary,from his own imagination;right down to and including conversations.He was an excellent storyteller and left the nitpickers worry themselves about details and accuracy,if that was their avocation,but it wasn't his.
"The Black Donnellys" was such a great success,he decided to follow it up with a book that told story of the awful fates that were visited on the members of the Vigilante Committee.Though there were probably some things that really did happen to some of them;Kelley let his imagination run freely,and created all kinds of legends and stories.The result is a thrilling tale of evil,revenge,romance and adventure that is difficult to put down once started.However;for the greatest effect ,his other book,which is essentially the true story,should be read first.Just as in his first Donnelly book;each chapter starts off with a verse from an old ballad about the things that happened on the Roman Line and around Lucan following the awful murders.
There has even been a bit of a cult following that has grown up and visit the areas in hopes of encountering some of these 'old ghosts'on the anniversity date of the night of February 4,1880.
Let me just qoute a couple of verses of the ballad to set the atmosphere of the book and tale;

"It happened,God alone knows why,
In Lucan,long ago.
Dark clouds were on the moon that night,
The fields piled high with snow.
As the mob killed old Johannah,
She cried out with her last breath:
'Your murderin'souls will roast in hell
You'll all know a violent death."

"For the midnight hour brings alarm,
And horses won't pass the Donnelly farm.
Stay off that road or you'll come to harm,
Out on the Roman Line."

"They found him in an upstairs room,
He lay half beneath the bed.
Blood flowed around his lifeless form-
In one corner was his head."

And finally;

"The ghost of the violin still plays-
For the dead sometimes return.
I know what these old eyes have seen,
I know what I did learn.
And even though a thousand years
May pass along in time:
"The ghosts of the Black Donnellys will
Still ride the Roman Line!"

If you'd like a great story of murder and mayhem,this is the book for you.

T.P.Kelleys second 'Donnelly' book is more of a ghost story than the first.he relates the history through the use of storytelling,as opposed to his first book which was more telling of story.this was the first book i read in the DONNELLY catalogue of books and it was the perfect one to start with.it allows the reader to involve themselves in the aftermath of the crime committed on the victims.a fantastic tale and a worthy read.

This book is, I think a much improved and expanded version of "the Black Donnely's" with more detalic effort. This book is the better book of the series. If you liked "the Black Donnely's" you are really going to like this one, it is filled with more town myths and legends of what goes on at the Donnelly's old farm after dark.

I read both the BLACK DONNELLYS and Vengeance of the Black Donnellys over 25 years ago. I, in turn loaned my copies of these books to several family members who,in turn, read these books and passed them around to family members and friends. Their reactions echo mine. My parents and an aunt and uncle travelled to Lucan, Ontario several years ago, and visited the Donnelly grave. While there, they took pictures of the Donnelly tombstone and did ask some people about the Donnellys. Even though the Donnellys were murdered 118 years ago, there are decendants of the members of the vigilante committee around and it is still a rather sore topic to try to discuss. The Vengeance of the Black Donnellys is strictly a fictional story, which the author, Thomas P. Kelley states at the beginning of the book. But - if you read the "Black Donnellys and think about some of the events that are mentioned in the Vengeance of the Black Donnellys, maybe truth is stranger than fiction. If t! his book is made up, maybe the author is hitting on some truths that followed the murder of the Donnellys and none of the survivors of the vigilante committee is willing to acknowledge just how close the author has come to relating how those responsible for the murders came to meet their death.