Amazing Stories

A rivetingly imagined re-telling of the voyages of Frances Barkley (1769-1845), who as a young woman travelled the world on a trading mission with her sea captain husband. Over two hundred years ago, Frances Barkley, a seventeen-year-old girl fresh out of a convent school in France, met twenty-six-year-old sea captain, fell deeply in love, and married him after a six-week courtship. Five weeks later, she stepped aboard his ship, the Imperial Eagle, to set sail on an eight-year voyage that would take them around the world twice.   Frances Barkley's story is a remarkable one. It is a story born of discovery, of firsts, of hardship, of disease, of illness, and of death. Relying on her strength of character and wit, this young woman survived fierce seas, shipwreck, and capture by pirates. When Frances was approaching her seventh decade, at the behest of her daughter, she put pen to paper and wrote down what she could remember of her life with her husband in the merchant sea trade. Frances Barkley: Eighteenth-century Seafarer is not simply a re-issue of Frances's own reminiscences, but a work of creative non-fiction-an extensive reimagining of her time at sea, supplemented through extensive historical, geographic, and nautical research.

A fascinating collection of concise stories about twenty-one courageous, independent, and diverse women who shaped the history of Vancouver Island. From the lush rainforest of Clayoquot Sound to the bustling city streets of Victoria, Vancouver Island has been home to an astounding number of inspiring women. On Their Own Terms: True Stories of Trailblazing Women of Vancouver Island celebrates the achievements of twenty-one amazing heroines working in multiple fields, from world-famous artists to social activists to groundbreaking scientists and quietly defiant labourers. The diverse women in this engaging new collection include:pioneer and midwife Tuwa `hwiye Tusium Gollelim, Mary Ann Gyves;world-renowned algae botanist Josephine Tilden; undiscovered aviatrix Lilian Bland; Vancouver Island's first African-Canadian teacher, Emma Stark; and entrepreneur and bounty hunter Ada Annie Rae-Arthur, better known as Cougar Annie.On Their Own Terms will delight and empower anyone looking for true stories of nineteenth- and twentieth-century women who confronted uncertainty, challenged gender norms, and excelled in their respective vocations. Whether you are an entrepreneur, an educator, a rebellious spirit, or an armchair adventurer, these incredible women who thrived on Vancouver Island will captivate you.

"Andra-Warner has given us a great read with this slim biography. Her story-telling skills excel at distilling historical facts into compelling narrative."—Thunder Bay Chronicle-Review A quick-paced and engaging biography of Canada's favourite northern poet, Robert Service. Born in England in 1874 to Scottish parents, Robert William Service was raised to live the practical life of a banker. Although banking proved a useful skill to fall back on from time to time, Service was destined to pursue a life of poetry, travel, and adventure. After landing on the west coast of North America at the age of twenty-one, Service found his way to Yukon, the place that would capture his heart and imagination for years to come. Despite his many adventures in Europe and around the world, Yukon remained a strong influence on the poet until his death in 1958. His best-known works, including "The Shooting of Dan McGrew" and "The Cremation of Sam McGee," were inspired by his time there. Focusing on his Yukon period, historian Elle Andra-Warner crafts a vivid story of the poet who defined the North for generations of Canadians.

A dynamic retelling of the deadly 1906 sinking of the SS Valencia off the southwest coast of Vancouver Island, one of the worst maritime disasters in Canadian history. There are few places on earth that have such a high record of marine casualties as the short yet treacherous stretch of coastline known as the Graveyard of the Pacific. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, the fifty-six kilometres between Port Renfrew and Cape Beale off Vancouver Island saw dozens of shipwrecks and claimed hundreds of lives.On a blustery night in late January 1906, the steamship SS Valencia, heading from San Francisco to Seattle and Victoria, met its tragic fate on the rocks near Pachena Point. With over one hundred passengers and sixty-five crew members on board, only thirty-seven people survived the wreck. All of the women and children perished.With journalistic precision, compassion for the victims, and condemnation for those who neglected to prevent the tragedy, author Michael C. Neitzel recounts the Valencia's ill-fated final voyage, drawing heavily on first-hand accounts of the survivors and witnesses. The Final Voyage of the Valencia is a must-read for anyone interested in the maritime history of Canada's west coast.

A vivid account of the life and times of the larger-than-life Canadian hero who played a major role in the peaceful development of western Canada. A descendant of warriors, chiefs, and military men of the Clan MacLeod, James A.F. Macleod led an adventurous life that took him from his birthplace on Scotland's Isle of Skye to the Canadian west. After immigrating to Ontario, Macleod became a lawyer and militia officer before joining the effort to quell the 1870 Red River Resistance. In 1874, he was appointed assistant commissioner of the newly formed North West Mounted Police and led his troops west to smash the whisky trade and bring law and order to the vast North-West Territories. Macleod smoked the peace pipe with prominent chiefs like Crowfoot and Red Crow, earning their trust as a man who kept his promises. As a policeman and judge, Macleod showed a strong sense of justice, sympathizing with the plight of Indigenous Peoples and challenging the government when it failed to fulfil treaty obligations.

Since 1873, the Mounties have brought the law to the furthest reaches of the Canadian frontier. Sam Steele, the "Lion of the North," was involved in almost every significant event in the Canadian West; James Macleod and James Walsh negotiated peace with the First Nations peoples. Less famous, unsung heroes risked their lives enforcing justice in the Canadian wilds. From stopping the whisky trade to policing the chaotic gold rush and patrolling the lonely North, these true tales of the early days of the Force are sure to amaze and entertain.