Canada Books

Carney is a former journalist who has worked in various aspects of communications for more than 20 years. His book is packed with information on approaching the media, developing and maintaining a relationship with it, handling interviews, analyzing the success of message delivery, lodging complaints and a whole lot more in between.

This is a book designed for people in the public,private and voluntary sector who know very little about the news media but need to know more if they are going to do their jobs properly. It contains lots of practical advice about how to approach reporters, turn events into a news story,navigate difficult interviews,and write grabby press releases.

Although Carney, a former journalist and now an experienced political staffer in the premier's office in Saskatchewan,he manages to avoid casting news media as puppets to be manipulated. Instead, he urges public relations practitioners to help the news media do their job rather than hinder them. Journalists wanting to
know more about the tricks of the trade used in the PR business will also find this interesting. G.S..

Recommendation: Definitely worth owning for all but the very experienced. The two chapters on handling interviews are touchstones to be read over and over, as are the concluding thoughts on professional development. Total beginners will want to supplement this volume with additional case studies showing the principles in action and material on the how-to of activities such as setting up a news conference venue or conducting a media drop.

In The News: The Practice Of Media Relations In Canada by experienced journalist and lecturer William Wray Carney is a solidly informative treatise about public relations with the media - in particular the Canadian media, but the vital advice and sound information, such as the principle of "Good Communications Cannot Override Bad Judgement" apply directly to public relations workers everywhere. Grounded solidly in research and personal experience, yet written in a straightforward, direct style particularly suitable for introducing novices to public relations while offering new tips, tricks, and techniques for veteran PR workers, In The News is a first-rate and highly recommended guidebook to the art, craft and science of media relations.

This book is an outstanding reference for homeowners, hikers, naturalists, and botanists trying to learn more about what plants are invasive in their backyards,neighborhood parks, and forests and what to do about them. I especially like the pictures -- most useful for identification. And not only can you learn to identify invasive plants, but the book has informative sections for each species on why that species is a problem and how to control it. I really liked the fascinating stories behind the plants. Once you take a look at this book, you will start seeing invasive plants everywhere.

This book is much more than a field guide. The authors provide practical advice on eradicating invasive species, as well as fascinating histories of how the invasive plants got here in the first place. It's amazing how many of them were brought over for gardens! The guide is thorough, covering both terrestrial and aquatic species. Recommended for anyone with pesky invasive plant problems, be it a homeowner or a natural resource manager.

Book contains great photographes, historical information, and treatmeant options. Also including both upland and aquatic plants makes this book great for anyone working with Invasive Species.

A++++++++++++++

Although I am not a professional botanist to point out technical errors I have found this book to be very useful. Each plant species covered has a "Name and Family" section which includes the common and scientific name along with the common and scientific name of the family. There are also brief "Identifying Characteristics", "Habitat and Range", "What it does in the Ecosystem", "How it came to North America", "Management" and a "For More Information" section which refers to literature and/or web sites. I wanted a book that could help me quickly identify plants along roadsides and disturbed habitats that are typically known to be invasive. My interests involve edible plants and this book helps me determine if the plant I am curious about has any edible parts because it allows me to identify the plant and then cross reference it in other books or on the internet once I know the species. Lots of photographs (at least 2/species usually more) to help spot that plant you are looking for and they usually show enough features of the plant to help identify it. From an ecological standpoint I think it is great to have this book at the fingertips of those looking to restore natural habitats on their own property or our nature preserves. Finally!, a book that can assist us all with the massive problem of invasive plants.

"Irish Chain" centers on Rose Dunlea, a 13 year old girl living in Halifax in the 1700's. Rose lives a content life with her family, yet still has a few problems of her own. Her major struggle is her dyslexia-in those days, dyslexia was unknown so people who had trouble with reading and writing were labelled "dumb" and "slow." Rose dreads school and has already been held back twice,and is threatened to be held back yet again. Rose is friendless and picked on severely by most of her teachers. During troublesome times like these, she turns to her Irish Chain quilt, made by her grandmother, and the stories of its patches give her comfort. One day Rose prays to God that she should not have to go to school anymore. Her prayers were answered on December 6, 1917, when two ships, one loaded with explosives, crash in Halifax's harbour. The crash destroys nearly the entire North part of Halifax, and resulted in the greatest human tragedy Canada had ever seen. Throughout the turmoil,grief-stricken Rose must find her remaining family members, face the pain of loss, and gain inner strength and courage from the stories of the quilt patches to piece her life back together. A wonderful story!

Barbara managed to "weave" together a very well written story of the largest man-made explosion outside of Hiroshima. Rose Dunlea is a girl living in Halifax struggling with reading skills. She prays to god that she won't have to go to school ever after being humiliated in front of the class. But when two ships collide in the harbour, an earth-shaking disaster strikes, and Rose Dunlea does not have to go to school. While plagued with grief, Rose sets out trying desperately to find the courage of her great -grandmother Rose: the creator of the Irish Chain quilt, and the missing members of her family.

When you read the first few chapters of this book you seem to think that Rose`s life isn`t too bad a little ruff aroung the edges mabye but still liveable. When tragedy strikes you become part of the story unable to put it down. I would definetly recommend this book to everyone although it might be a bit much for younger readers.

When my mom got me this book for Christmas, I must admit I was reluctant to read it. I had never heard of that horrible halifax explosion, so I put it aside till Febuary. And I got right into it, believe it or not. It even got me to watch the recent documentry on the halifax explosion.

The book starts off in the winter or 1917, and the main character Rose Dunlea is worrying about her problems, and wishing she was perfect. Don't we all? But her problems wasn't her wishing that she was a supermodel, like other books. True she did mention once or twice that she wished she could be a little prettier. Her problem was that she was dyslexia, and in 1917 a person with dyslexia was slow and dumb! Dyslexia for those don't know is a difference in the brain. They are as intelligent as the average person, they just have trouble with what is seen or heard. For Rose, she was the seeing problem. Numbers and letters seem to jump and move when she writes them. Her da won't let her drop out of school because he wants his kids to have the education he never had. Rose has already been held back twice and has absolutely no friends. In these times she turned to the irish chain quilt. Each patch has a story of her ancestors. These stories are told throughout the book.

She wishes she never has to go to school again, or so she told God. Then on December 9, 1917, two ships crash in Halifax harbour, one of them was carrying explosives. And they explode destroying buildings and kill and wound so many. This would go down as the worst Canadian disaster perhaps ever to happen. Rose convinced that it is her fault (remember her praying to god wishing she doesn't have to go school anymore) is grief-striken. She goes around and tries to find all her family and friends. Many of her loved ones are dead, or seirously injured...but still there are some who alive. This story is a heart warming story that shows that the human spirit still endures through all catrosphes(sorry about that misspelling).

If this book had any major faults, I failed to catch them. The characters were all vividly delinated(drawn)in words. It makes you cry, wonder, cheer and wish that you could shake hands with Rose Dunlea. Then again I'm canadian, so maybe this book meant more to me then it will to others from different countries.

Also at the end of this book is a lovely worthwhile author's note by Barbara Haworth-Attard, photos of the halifax explosion and a step by step instructions on how to make your own irish chain quilt. Enjoy!

This book is the best Japanese reference book you can own! It identifies swords, dirks, tassels, belt buckles, civilian swords, and pretty much anything else you can think of. This book is a must have for any Japanese sword collector! In fact this book itself is very hard to find and is skyrocking in value. Whatever you have to pay for this book it is worth it, I know I made up for the price with the first purchase I made.

Excellent book for the new or advanced collector. lots of good photos never published info. Clear and concise info on anything you may find at estate sales flea markets or antique shops

This book is very comprehensive and has more information than most books of a similar topic. Great reference material as well as some nice closeup details of rare swords. A MUST HAVE item for anybody that wants to collect Military swords and such. Information of the type included within this book will assist newcomers to buy swords with confidence. Well worth $50 price!!

This is an excellent reference for anyone interested in Japanese swords. The authors have made not only a great handbook, but also one that is easily readable. It is an excellent buying guide in terms of identification, authentication, and evaluation. It also provides great information on sword knots, sword belts, and hangers as well as collecting tips and period photos. Don't go to a show without it! It gives you a knowledge advantage over 90% of the folks selling Japanese military swords. Easily pays for itself with your first treasure find.

I came across this book at a consignment store and bought it for $1 without even reading it as my hands were full. One of my best friends is named "Jennifer Jones" so I couldn't walk past without picking it up. Originally I planned to send it to her, but it's just such a cute little rhyming story with a nice rhythm to it that I don't want to give it up! My 6 month old seems to enjoy the illustrations as much as I do. Instead of passing on my $1 copy I came here to order my bestie a brand new one! I think it'll make her day. :)

My children love this book and so do I. The little boy's reactions to Jennifer's amorous advances and then to her absence seem realistic and are very endearing. Another cute "kissing" book to check out is "The Good-night Kiss" by Astrid Mola.

I came across this book while volunteering at a childrens book fair. I just fell in LOVE with it and had to buy it for myself! I have no children, but have read it to my nieces and they loved it too! I am proud to have this 'childrens book' on my bookshelf!

This book is perfect for young children and the young at heart. Adults will love it as much as their children. I read it with first and second graders. They sympathized with the narrator's "Ewww, a girl LIKES me" feelings, and they giggled when he changed his mind. Boys and girls had different reactions over whether or not the narrator should tell his friends of his change of heart.

In a time when children would rather turn on the TV than listen to a good story, this one won over the crowd. They even asked me to "Read it again!"

A Jest of God epitomises Margaret Laurence's focus on characters whose stories are usually never told. The protagonist, Rachel, is a spinster school-teacher in small town Manitoba. She is stifled both by her closed community and by internalising their pettiness. Rachel's inner-dialogue sets the claustophobic atmosphere, while also being funny, frustrating and moving. Laurence's portrait of an ordinairy woman coming to terms with herself and with surroundings is flawless and highly readable.

After reading "The Diviners" by Margaret Laurence, I found "A Jest of God" more entertaining and true-to-life. The female protagonist Rachel was more believable and down to earth. The plot of homosexuality was realistic and daring.

Although I find Margaret Lawrence to be an incredible author, all her books tend to be the same. Different people but always the same place, type of character, style. . . this is at least the case with all her books in the Manawaka Series. Stone Angel was my favorite, A jest of God was pretty good though.

At first I thought of Rachel as paranoid and on the edge of sanity; however, by the end of the novel she has found her self and her voice. Her thoughts and feelings towards her mother and sister are so realistic, even if they seem unsettling at times. It was enlightening to be a part of her journey towards self-discovery and strength.

The devotionals in this book cover almost every topic you could think of concerning your Christian walk, which others have detailed. This book, split into one to two page devotionals--a hundred of them, has somewhere within its pages, a specific message to speak to almost any issue you are struggling with. I found all the stories and conclusions to be Biblically based with references to scripture. The power of the author's faith is evident, and when you realize that Mr. Mitchener is severely disabled, his faith is all the more powerful and encouraging. A number of churches have had him as a speaker, no doubt to the great edification of the people there.

If you want a powerful, Bible-based, devotional book that tackles many issues, then this is the one. For more information, the author's website is his name as one word, then the dot com. I highly recommend this book.

In Just Passing Through, Jason Mitchener offers one hundred well-written devotionals on selected Bible verses to uplift and encourage his fellow travelers on the road of life. Although Jason is confined to a wheelchair, his spirit soars free and his view of the world is sharp and God-centered.

These devotionals include subjects such as love, contentment, anger, and knowing God. Mitchener's comments on Scripture come from his experience and observation, and are both refreshing and challenging.

Although I've been a Christian for many years, Mitchener's devotionals have inspired me to seek a closer walk with Jesus and reach out to others on my journey with Him.

This is a book I will read again and again for comfort, encouragement, and inspiration. I highly recommend it to Christians and to anyone seeking a better understanding of God and life. This book would make an excellent gift and would be a welcome addition to any church library.

The title is deceptively simple, and so is the cover illustration. These aren't leisurely, isn't-the-world-great devotionals, the kind that make no more impression than a passing traveler might. These are devotionals straight from the heart of a sufferer, not someone who looks back from a safe distance on a time of anguish, but one who wakes each day to face his trials anew. They reflect sadness that yet sparkles with joy, realism into which has dawned optimism, pain in a wash of sunlight. Here the reader can glimpse a soul struggling against the odds--and winning with God. This book would have special meaning to anyone, like the author and unlike the man on the cover, who can explore the world only from his own small room.

Jason Mitchener's honesty and poignant viewpoint come wrapped in the solid good writing of a storyteller. I received a double blessing, as well as a triple whammy, when I realized Jason writes from the perspective of a man with more than the usual challenges of life. You can't read this book and not be changed!

I was looking for more of a resource for making this trip. This book went into more depth about the history of the region than the specifics of the trip. In general I was pretty disappointed with it.

This summer 2005 I used this book to kayak the inside passage from Anacordis WA to Glacier Bay, AK. I left Anacordis on 18 June 05 and reached Glacier Bay on 25 Sept O5. This book was my guide the entire way. I tried every recommended campsite, and paddled the recommended route almost entirely, without stopping, for 1400 miles, and 3 1/2 months. So ... perhaps, in a small way, I am qualified to review this book.

The book's recommended route is impecable - perfect all the way from Anacordis to Glacier Bay, with one exception, as follows: Between Petersburg and Juneau AK, the author routes the kayaker along admiralty island to see a bear sanctuary, and then into a blind lagoon where the kayaker is forced to use a land trolley to transport his kayak across a peninsula. This route is a poor selection because 1)The bear sanctuary is impossible for kayakers to see because of beligerant forest service policies requiring advance reservations. No exceptions; 2)The blind lagoon's trolley has the rails disconnected at the north end, requiring the kayaker to CARRY his kayak on his back down a steep, high hill to finish the portage. Instead, kayakers buying this book would do best in ignoring the author's Petersburg to Juneau route, and instead paddle along the mainland shore, where multitudes of iceburgs float, where the second best whale-watching area in north america is, and best of the best, where the Tracy Arm Glacier is, arguable the finest, most impressive and actively calving glacier in all of Alaska. Why the author bypassed the miraculous Tracy Arm to NOT see a bear sanctuary that doesn't permit impromptu kayakers ... we can only guess.

Campsites: The author openly admits that he lost his notes on what his campsites were for much of the trip. Thus, the campsites recommended on the book's maps are anotated in the book with painful phrases paraphrased like "... the topo map shows this to be flat ground, so there maybe SHOULD be a campsite there...." OUCH. Speaking as a traveller who has visited all the author's recommended campsites, the author is right only better than half the time, and when the campsite he recommends turns out to be a swamp ... or indeed IS flat ground but is fronted by jagged rocks impossible to haul a kayak up the beach on ... that means the tired kayaker must continue paddling blindly and exhaustedly, perhaps with light failing and conditions deteriorating, looking for a campsite on his own. Now this wouldn't be so bad, except that for the vast majority of the inside passage, the mountains fall directly into the sea, leaving jagged cliffy coastlines where campsites appear only once every ten miles or so. Campsites are as scarce as hens teeth. So ... a tired kayaker having timed his paddling day to end at the author's recommended campsite ... has only a 50-50 chance of indeed finding shelter there, and will perhaps be forced to continuing paddling on ... and on ... and on.

Author's commentary and background research is superb. Many times I found myself teaching the locals about their own area by reading them this guidebook's commentary. The book is very readable and fun, yet is highly educational. The author's anecdotes had me rolling on my tent floor in laughter many times. Exceptions: The author comments that one can expect to see one to five bears a day along the inside passage. This is not so. I paddled 3 1/2 months, and only saw 6 bears, all of them black, none of them browns. Bears, and signs of bears, were few. Land wildlife is actually very rare along the entire inside passage ... but marine wildlife abounds. Only three places in 1400 miles did I see a deer, for example.

Overall, this book earns its 5 stars. But note the exceptions above to correct the book's few quirks. Hats off to the author on doing such a good job guiding us through such a demanding, lengthy, and thrilling journey.

Mr. Miller has a wealth of knowledge in kayaking, the passage, and the environment. He shares this with humor and historic accuracy. I particularly enjoyed his observations of human interaction. However, it would be a much more digestable read if I didn't have to use the dictionary every ten minutes to discover the meaning of the obscure language he uses throughout the book. Although I clearly understand the gist, the audience (me)... would be more interested in a text that had a manageable rhythm. Perhaps he is trying to prove he is a literate, intellectual outdoor person. I will use this book to help plan my own month long trip in the inside passage.

Miller's book is filled with delights on every page. I picked it up because I'm heading up The Passage by ferry for the first time and I thought a kayaker's perspective could be interesting. I was not disappointed! Every page is an entertainment. From the trials of flood and ebb tides to the ever-present danger from bears to the capsulated history about almost every one of the 3,000 islands along the way. I felt I was present.

This is not just about paddling, which is detailed to the max, but about economics; and the climate; and the sheer brutality as well as the compassion of the men and women who braved it;

As I go on my comfortable armchair cruise, I will now know not only what is in front of me but what transpired at this spot 100 years ago, 500 years ago and even how the surface of the earth came to this spectacular visage.

How the eminent naturalist, John Muir got his come-up-ence from an elderly chief; how the first settlers crossed the land bridge into the new continent; how the more recent "discoverers" overcame hardship and missed opportunities to enter into a struggle between nations that, although currently without bloodshed, is still continuing.

I received much more than I was expecting from "Kayaking...". I received a wealth of background which will make my coming trip a true "delight".

Full of history, regional politics, and local knowledge, this book is not just for kayakers. Anyone planning or dreaming of an Inside Passage voyage will enjoy this read. And yes, it has the maps,references, and all the hard-to-find details for actually doing this trip.

Holidays like Valentine's Day bring special pain to thirty-something widower Patrick Rush. After the death of his wife Tamara, their four-year-old son Sam is all he has left. At work, his job as a critic and television feature writer at Toronto's National Star doesn't bring much fulfillment to his life. In fact, he turns bitter and envious from writing about other people's creative accomplishments. What Patrick really wants to do is unleash his own creativity and write his own story.

One evening, after Sam is safely tucked in for the night, Patrick heads down to his basement office, which Tamara called "the Crypt," and makes a phone call that will change his life. He digs out a slip of paper and dials the number in a classified ad that offers an intensive workshop facilitated by Conrad White, an obscure poet and novelist. He tells the voice on the other end, "I want to write a book."

The atmosphere of the writers' circle, which meets for five Tuesdays in the Kensington Market area of Toronto, is dark and mysterious. The circle is limited to Conrad and seven members --- Patrick, Petra, Len, Angela, Ivan, Evelyn and William --- who round out the odd assortment of people drawn together by their desire to share the stories of their lives. Yet Patrick, the published writer, seems to have nothing to share because there are some internal demons he doesn't want to unleash.

Patrick is especially envious when he hears Angela read from her journal about the Sandman, who lurks in the shadows waiting to attack and destroy. While Patrick sits listening to Angela tell her story, he records her words.

As weeks progress and circle members share their stories, the city of Toronto is plagued by a serial killer who is striking close to Patrick's home. Sam has nightmares about a man, "a bad man," in the house across the street. They sound eerily similar to events in Angela's story, and Patrick can't escape the feeling that his house is being watched and he is being stalked. After the circle has ended, the murders in his neighborhood stop.

Several years later, Patrick has achieved success, fame and fortune. He also experiences a parent's worst nightmare when his beloved son is abducted. To find Sam, Patrick undertakes a journey to uncover the root of the evil that's been lurking in the background of their lives.

THE KILLING CIRCLE is a dark, chilling and haunting tale of ambition, envy and the evil that lurks among us, complete with breathtaking twists and turns that will keep readers guessing until the end.

--- Reviewed by Donna Volkenannt

Toronto TV reporter Patrick Rush has not recovered form the sudden death of his wife. He struggles at work as his performance has deteriorated so that he has been relegated from the National Star to the local reality beat and fears he will be fired from that if he does not turn it around. Patrick also wonders if he failing his young son though he tries his best to raise his child.

Trying to come out of his funk, Rush turns to his dream of becoming an author by joining a writing circle. However, Rush becomes stunned when he reads the work of another writer Angela during a peer review. Her book sounds autobiographical and not fiction to the journalist. Rush is especially fascinated with the evil lead villain, a paranormal serial killer who is partial to dissecting his victims. As his grip on reality slips, Rush considers his next step especially when fiction becomes reality.

This gripping psychological suspense thriller has a Poe feel to it as the reader keeps expecting increasingly bad things to occur. Rush is fabulous as a grieving man breaking down when he cannot afford to as his son needs him; could he be emulating the book in real life, imagining the murders occurred, or could Angela be writing based on first hand knowledge. THE KILLING CIRCLE is a one sitting read.

Harriet Klausner

Pyper's new novel is the most blood-chilling, mind-bending thriller that I've read in years. The plot's as intricate as frost patterns on a winter window - you never know who or what to believe, everyone seems capable of anything - and yet Pyper never loses control of the story. The twists and shocks come hurtling at you but never feel contrived, illogical or forced. Too exciting to put down. This book is just brilliant.

Bill Loehfelm, author of Fresh Kills

Andrew Pyper wrote a wonderful first book called Lost Girls. I remember thinking how proud I was that he was Canadian. So, of course, when his most recent book became available for review, I jumped on it. The Killing Circle is a "thriller/mystery/whodunnit".

What I like about Pyper is that you can never really categorize his books in just one area.In this newest entry, our main character Patrick Rush is an ordinary guy, who is down on his luck. His wife just recently died and somehow, his writing career at the paper seems to be on a downward spiral. He longs to write "that" novel, but somehow does not seem to have much to say. In an attempt to get some ideas and rejuvenate himself, he joins a writing circle - which at first glance appears to be a mistake - until he meets Angela. Angela is a mother, but she tells tales of this Sandman - a horrible man who comes into the night and does horrible things. Rush finds himself fascinated and returns, week after week to hear more. The only problem is - the Sandman appears to be real - a dark man has appeared and is re-creating the grisly scenes that are "imanaged" and "told" by Angela.

Rush gets this idea - should he offer to write the "true story" of these murders? and why do they sound so familiar? how can this be happening? It is very difficult to write this review without giving anything away. As always, Pyper does not use the standard thriller ploys to get the story moving along. We remain unsure of the intentions of ALL of the players until the end of the storyline. There are some serious twists along the line (one in particular that I really did not expect). I kept asking myself, is it possible that Rush has lost his mind?

Pyper writes with style, he often uses poetic storytelling that lures you into a different world - only to yank you right back out with a grisly scene. He is unlike any other writer of this(ese) genre(s) I have read.On some level Pyper is the Paul Auster of the mystery world. You start off one place with the storyline and you end up at a completely different place and you never know how you got there - except that the ride was exceptional.What a wonderful read

that I am looking for her next book :)....what a great (yet) readable book !

When I opened 'Kiss the Sunset Pig' I was expecting a travel book, which it is ... and a great one at that. What I wasn't expecting was how much it would touch my soul. I sat, riveted, as I took a journey not only around the world, but across thoughts, hopes, dreams. Anyone who's ever questioned whether, with the whole world to choose from, they're living their lives in the best place or whether they've filled their lives to the very best of their ability, will find a resonating spirit in this book.
As Laurie Gough makes her way from Canada and across America she hopes not only to settle happily in California, but to find the coastal cave that she lived in for six nights, years ago. But the search is not so much for the cave itself, as for the more free-spirited (she believes) girl that lived there. As she drives, she recalls previous travels in the Greek islands, the Yukon, Jamaica, Sumatra, and Seoul, to name a few. These tales can't fail to inspire. Her bravery alone, traveling solo through often uncomfortable, and sometimes dangerous, situations is humbling to say the least. But it's this bravery she feels has been lost and she hopes to rekindle by finding her cave.
Several times the author seemed to wander into places I thought only existed in my daydreams. Some were so uncanny they made me gasp. Since childhood I have wanted a glass-walled bedroom perched on the top of a house, entirely surrounded by trees. I clapped my hands in delighted envy when the author set up home in just such a room ... and in a Californian Redwood forest at that. These instances were some of the most poignant for me - the fact that daydreams can so easily be reality if you go out and make them so ... that really hit home.
The travel stories are touching, humourous, enchanting, and filled with travel's usual mix of discomfort, frustration, alarm, and achingly beautiful encounters. All are told with the author's clear natural gift for portraying the lightness and the depth in every situation.
So if the idea of sleeping in a coastal cave, inside a Californian Redwood, on a Mediterranean beach, or on the banks of the remote Yukon river lights something intangible inside, I wholeheartedly recommend you read 'Kiss the Sunset Pig' and let inspiration rain over you.

If you enjoyed Kite Strings of the Southern Cross, or even if you were not lucky enough to read it, Laurie Gough's second book offers the same magical combination of beautiful, descriptive travel writing and soul-searching that never comes across as self-involved or forced. Starting in Canada, Gough takes the reader along on her road trip to rediscover a special cave she once stayed in along the California coast - and how she has evolved since that memorable sojourn. Interspersed throughout the narrative are chapters on some of Gough's other international adventures to such exotic locales as Sumatra and Seoul, South Korea (a place that comes across as utterly unappealing).

Much of the beauty in Gough's writing comes not just from her memorable descriptions of the people, places, and things she encounters and learns from (especially those harrowing Indonesian bus and ferry rides and Marcia, her struggling car), but also from her brutal honesty about some of the low points she struggled through along the way. By the end of the book, the reader truly roots for Gough to find her cave so the journey can go full-circle.

Despite an unexpected outcome, Gough manages to discover the meaning and convey the depth of her experience in a way that never seems heavy-handed or cliched. This is a beautiful and inspiring piece of travel writing that offers many riches for fellow travelers, those who enjoy strong writing, and anyone who has ever considered his or her place and purpose in the universe.

Laurie Gough is an intrepid traveller with a youthful exuberance for adventure. I realize, though, that no matter what one's age, some people are born with wanderlust and have a need to travel the world. The interesting thing is, travellers always return home. That's what Gough does. She's been to thirty countries, hitchhiking thousands of miles by herself though fourteen of them. But she always returns to her hometown of Guelph, Ontario in Canada.

At the beginning of Kiss the Sunset Pig, Gough sets off for California from Guelph in a "blue, beat-up mini Ford Bronco" she calls Marcia. To help with driving and expenses, she picks up a travelling companion named Debbie, whom she has met through an ad and, before the trip begins, has only spoken to on the phone. Debbie gets dropped off in St. Louis, Missouri, at the home of a boyfriend she has never met face to face.

"Sometimes I think I'm still looking for an axis," Gough writes early on in her journey. After reading her book, I think the axis may be the wanderlust. It's who she is. For a person with wanderlust, there is no perfect place to live. A place may seem ideal, for a time, but really it's just a base at which to prepare oneself for the next adventure.

Reading about her encounters with strange and wonderful people is frightening at times (for the reader and for her), but I realize travelling with a companion or in a group, as I usually do, one is not open to the same exciting possibilities. Travelling solo, Gough finds herself talking to strangers more readily as she's more open and more herself. "That's the thing about travelling: it's like peeling away a layer of yourself, exposing yourself to the world so it can expose itself to you".

The structure of the book is an interesting one that works extremely well. (She did the same in her first book, Kite Strings of the Southern Cross, which I highly recommend.) Rather than write a book of travel stories in chronological order, Gough reflects on previous journeys as she drives across the United States in a car that needs lots of garage visits along the way.

One of those reflections is the Greek island of Naxos. There Gough created a temporary home under a small bamboo wind shelter on the beach. Her backpack went missing for a time and to ease her panic, she looked at the "dependable milky rock" of the moon. Gough realized things like that didn't matter "in the great scheme of the universe" (she had her passport and money), and I realize too, as a traveller, one needs to practice non-attachment. Gough describes Greece beautifully as a "land where myth and reality swirl around each other in a luminous haze." Yet she needed to move on, "to see the rest of the world."

One summer, Gough hitchhiked to the Yukon, 3,000 miles from Guelph. She says hitchhiking is "always a surprise study of human beings." Her travelling companion Kevin told her of his own world adventures. His advice was "You have no idea what's in store for you, but if you let yourself go along with the flow of the unknown and accept whatever happens, things seem to work out".

The "exotic detours" of which Gough writes don't all have happy endings. Her teaching job in Kashechewan in Canada's sub-Arctic ended after only three months with Gough defeated and exhausted by the chaos of a third-grade class. A trip to Jamaica with her sister ended quickly, as Gough likes to stay with locals while her sister prefers fancy hotels.

Gough is full of questions about where she belongs. Those questions don't at all detract from the book; they help us relate. After all, travel is about looking for oneself, and as travel-book readers, we get to reflect on similar questions.

On her trip to California, Gough plays Joni Mitchell's "California" that includes the phrase "kiss the sunset pig." She carries a tattered notebook called "Cave Journal" and would like to find that cave on the Pacific again, where she spent some time thirteen years previously. Along with her questions and her longing, Gough has a healthy sense of humour about her encounters along the way. She describes a town on the Great Plains called Grainfield as the "size of a bath mat."

At an earlier age, Gough described herself as "still on my way to everywhere." She has learned that travel can mean "hours, even days of despair, rain, heatwaves, snow, mosquitoes, late trains, no trains, followed by a single moment of dazzling elation. It was those single moments one tended to recall." Gough makes some realizations at the end of her California trip that I don't want to reveal here. But I would say, even though she is older and perhaps wiser, I still see her as on her way to everywhere.

Gough has married since the stories written about in her book and has a baby son. They divide their time between a farmhouse outside of Guelph, Ontario, and a Quebec village. Seventeen of her stories have been anthologised in various literary travel books, including Salon.com's Wanderlust: Real-Life Tales of Adventure and Romance and Sand in My Bra: Funny Women Write from the Road. She has written for the Los Angeles Times, the Globe and Mail, the National Post, Outpost, Canadian Geographic and numerous literary journals.

by Mary Ann Moore
for Story Circle Book Reviews
www.storycirclebookreviewsorg
reviewing books by, for, and about women