Stroke Prevention Naturally: Proven Non-Pharmaceutical Stroke Avoidance Strategies by Felix Veloso, M.D. F.R.C.P.(C), F.A.A.N. Published by Your Nickel’s Worth Publishing Review by Y.M. Smith $18.88 ISBN 978-1-894431-57-6 Stroke, brain attack, and cerebrovascular accident all mean the same thing – interruption of blood flow to the brain. Dr. Felix Veloso, a neurologist and clinical professor in Regina SK, has witnessed the devastation of stroke to patients and their families countless times in his over 40 years of practice. “Stroke is the leading cause of permanent disability” and the “second leading cause of death worldwide.” Yet there is a bright light in this picture. “Studies continue to confirm that a healthy lifestyle reduces the risk of stroke by up to 90%.” And at the same time a stroke is being prevented, heart attack and vascular dementia are also being prevented. In addition to the improved quality of life for people, imagine the impact on our healthcare system. “In Canada, direct and indirect cost of stroke is at least three billion dollars yearly and climbing.” Dr. Veloso is passionate in his belief that the general population be active participants in decisions that impact their health; give people the knowledge they need to make…

Relatives With Roots: A Story About Métis Women’s Connection to the Land by Leah Marie Dorion translated by Rita Flamand Published by The Gabriel Dumont Institute Review by Jessica Bickford 978-1-926795-00-3 Leah Dorion has given her all to Relatives With Roots, being the writer, illustrator, and also lending her voice to the English audio narration. Rita Flamand, a Métis elder, provides Michif-Cree translations and narrates the Michif audio track which is fascinating to listen to, as I have rarely heard the Métis language spoken. This is a lovely story about a Grandmother and her Granddaughter leaving their bush camp to go out and pick medicine, all while learning about Métis traditions. It focuses on the harmony that exists in Métis tradition between people and the earth, specifically how respect must be given to our “relatives with roots”. It includes a couple of little stories about Wisakechak (the Cree trickster) that help to further the ancestral teachings that this book is based on. The story of Relatives With Roots is both educational and endearing, but for me, the best part was the illustrations. This is the most beautiful picture book I have ever seen. Dorion’s paintings are alive with colour, authenticity,…

Coming to Salvation by Lori Kohlman Published by Lori Kohlman Review by Cindy Wilson $19.99 ISBN 978-0-9810826-1-5 Lori Kohlman returns us to a time in our history when the world was not steeped in technology and industrialization. As her novel shows, the triumphs and tribulations experienced by individuals at that time run parallel to those experienced by individuals in society today. This novel tells two stories. The first begins in 1939 when Angelica Aster answers an ad in a Winnipeg newspaper. She comes to Salvation, Saskatchewan, as a mail-order bride for Jacob Matthews and as a step-mother for Peter, his young son. Angelica has a secret. She does not come to Saskatchewan only to find a husband. Her reasons for coming to Jacob’s farm involve the death of Jacob’s first wife and the suspicion that little Peter is unloved and uncared for. The second storyline tells of a modern day couple, Rachel and Will. They come to Salvation to work out their marital problems, hoping to re-claim the love they have somehow lost with the passing years. They come to stay with Will’s bachelor Uncle Pete on the family farm. As the novel progresses we see the similarities between Angelica…