Prairie Initiation: A War Bride Story by Joan Spencer Olson Published by Benchmark Press Review by Keith Foster $19.95 ISBN 978-1-927352-19-9 Prairie Initiation is a love story of Anne Clark, an English war bride who moves to the Saskatchewan prairies with her Canadian soldier husband, Carl Swenson. Saskatchewan novelist Joan Olson, herself an English war bride, knows her subject well. Anne and Carl meet at a dance, and the attraction is immediate. But the differences between them are deep. She has strong religious connections; he’s an agnostic. She smokes; he’s a non-smoker. Yet in wooing Anne, Carl plies her with chocolates and cigarettes. Anne is stunned when Carl tells her he’s married, but it’s a marriage in name only. He demobilizes in Canada at the end of World War II, divorces his wife, and returns to marry Anne. Anne is disappointed with their wedding, which takes place in a courtroom presided over by a judge, “a mere formality taking barely more time than weighing and stamping a parcel.” Anne also has misgivings about moving to Canada to live with Carl and his parents. She has a strange premonition when Carl’s mother tersely writes, “I hope you will not regret the…

Women’s History Edited by Wendee Kubik and Gregory P. Marchildon Published by University of Regina Press Review by Keith Foster $34.95 ISBN 9780889773127 The history of women in the Prairies is a story of accomplishment and ongoing struggle – clearly depicted in Women’s History, edited by Wendee Kubik and Gregory P. Marchildon, This is the fifth volume in the History of the Prairie West Series, designed to appeal to a wide audience, from general readers to professional historians. Although Women’s History focuses on the three Prairie Provinces of Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Manitoba, it also extends to the American West. The book includes an array of subjects, including prohibition, vagrancy, suffrage, political activism, and union organizing. Women’s History is divided into six sections – Politics, Law, Agriculture, Labour, Journalism, and Ethnicity – covering the period from the 1870s to 2005. The seventeen analytical essays by fifteen authors were previously published in various issues of Prairie Forum; they are now conveniently located in this one volume. Each section contains essays appropriate to that area, often with intriguing titles such as “Spinsters Need Not Apply: Six Single Women Who Attempted to Homestead in Saskatchewan between 1872 and 1914,” and “25¢ an Hour; 48…

Downstream: Bestemor & Me by Vangie Bergum Published by Hagios Press Review by Keith Foster $18.95 ISBN 978-1-926710-26-6 In Downstream: Bestemor & Me, Vangie Bergum takes readers on her spiritual journey of self-awakening, self-discovery, and self-empowerment. Through creative non-fiction, she interweaves her own life story with that of her grandparents, peppering her narrative with Norwegian words and phrases, reflecting her ancestral background. While visiting Norway, she ponders why her grandparents left “this verdant land to spend their lives in the dry, treeless, windy spaces of the Saskatchewan prairies.” Her name, Bergum, “means encircled or surrounded by mountains,” and she wonders if this is where she was meant to be. In a twist of fate, the next generation, her mother’s generation, fears “the hovering mountains,” she says. “They claim they can only breathe on the non-stop prairie.” As she explores her Norwegian roots, Bergum uncovers a family tragedy – the deaths of her grandparents and their two daughters. She says the manner of their deaths – murder and suicide – brought shame to her family, “a shame encoded in my life from the time of my conception.” Adding to that shame is the fact that her grandmother spent time in two…

Woods Cree Stories by Solomon Ratt Illustrated by Holly Martin Published by University of Regina Press Review by Keith Foster $24.95 ISBN 978-0-88977-345-5 Woods Cree Stories is a collection of nine Cree folkloric tales related in three versions – syllabic, Cree, and the English translation. Author Solomon Ratt embellishes his stories with humour as an aid to learning the Cree language. If they seem a little weird, it’s probably because Ratt describes himself as having “a weird sense of humour.” Some of the tales may seem far-fetched. In “Buffalo Wings,” Ratt takes readers on a fanciful flight of fantasy going back to olden days when buffalo had wings. According to Ratt’s mythology, buffalo were hunted just for their wings, which were a delicious delicacy. Shaking-Spear, a character in another story, talks to animals, and they talk back to him. In the end, he makes a talking tree very happy. Another amusing tale involves a mouse who tries to form a friendship pact with a rabbit, a man, a cat, and a porcupine, all of whom are quite conversational in both Cree and English. Inevitably their alliance starts to break up. The last straw is when man gets ravenously hungry and…

I Know My Onions: Homesteading North of the 53rd by Ileen Boechler Published by Your Nickel’s Worth Publishing Review by Keith Foster $16.95 ISBN 978-1-927756-30-0 Imagine reclining in your favourite armchair and reading a good book beside the fireplace on a cold winter evening. Then, having finished the book, laying it down and basking in the memories it evoked. Ileen Boechler’s I Know My Onions: Homesteading North of the 53rd is this type of book. The title comes from an expression that people who were well read, articulate, and possessing great general knowledge were said to “know their onions.” The author relates experiences from her growing-up years with her three sisters and their dog, Sport, on the family farm near Carrot River, SK. Trees were abundant in this northern area and she helped her parents build their log house. She still loves working with wood. To her, a building supply store is “like a toy store is to a child.” Ileen says she felt safe and secure in her childhood. Even in the midst of the Great Depression of the 1930s when times were tough, the family made do by being resourceful. They’d use the waxed paper lining from cereal…

Journeys in Community-Based Research Edited by Bonnie Jeffery, et al Published by University of Regina Press Review by Keith Foster $80 ISBN 978-0-88977-306-6 Every journey begins with a first step. Journeys in Community-Based Research takes the reader on a giant first step in dealing with the ethics, advocacy, and impact of community-based research and learning. This highly academic study is a collection of essays reflecting case studies by 30 contributors skilled in assessing the needs of the marginalized and disadvantaged. Their goal was to develop a deeper understanding of communities and discover opportunities to improve their quality of life. In linking research, education, and action in Saskatoon’s core neighbourhoods, for instance, the authors point out that “participatory research requires a two-way dialogue, combining the researcher’s theoretical knowledge with the insider’s first-hand knowledge of the milieu.” They also found that “Building credibility, trust, and rapport also depended on asking the ‘right questions.’” This meant the researchers had to demonstrate that they were listening, learning, and taking community expertise seriously. To assist other researchers, the authors developed the following five-point checklist: i) identify decision makers, ii) involve them early, iii) involve them often, iv) conduct research they can use, and v) give…

The Literary History of Saskatchewan. Volume 2 – Progressions edited by David Carpenter Published by Coteau Books Review by Keith Foster $24.95 ISBN 978-1-55050-567-2 (v. 2) The Literary History of Saskatchewan continues its analysis of the province’s literary pioneers in this second volume – Progressions. This collection of essays brings insights into Saskatchewan writers and their writing styles from the 1980s to the end of the twentieth century. This period brought the Saskatchewan Book Awards and the Saskatchewan Festival of Words into being, and strengthened the literary presses like Coteau Books. With the demise of the Saskatchewan School of the Arts came the closing of Fort San, which Ken Mitchell describes as “a prairie legend, a Woodstock on the Qu’Appelle River.” But rising like a phoenix on the prairie, the Sage Hill Writing Experience took its place. In an ironic twist, Mitchell had been turned down by W.O. Mitchell for a workshop because he “wasn’t good enough.” The younger Mitchell was determined to prove him wrong, and did, becoming an instructor at Fort San and a professor at the University of Regina. This 290-page book contains four tributes and eleven essays, each referenced, including one devoted entirely to Saskatchewan’s new…

Entangled Roots: The Mystery of Peterborough’s Headless Corpse by Bev Lundahl Published by Your Nickel’s Worth Publishing Review by Keith Foster $17.95 ISBN 978-1-927756-31-7 In the early hours of a cold wintery morning in 1894, Hessie Gray was abruptly awakened to find smoke billowing in her Peterborough, ON bedroom. She opened the door to the kitchen. Seeing it was in flames, she broke a window and got her young children out. But her boarder, David Scollie, was still inside. With these few simple facts, Bev Lundahl’s Entangled Roots: The Mystery of Peterborough’s Headless Corpse sets the stage for her quest to determine what happened. An inquiry ruled that the fire was an accident and that Scollie had burned to death in his bed. But almost immediately, questions arose. Scollie’s head appeared to be missing. Had it simply burned away, or had he been decapitated? Rumours spread. Suspicions turned to Hessie. A preliminary hearing was convened. The strongest indictment against Hessie came from her sister, Mary McGregor, who happened to be none other than Lundahl’s great-grandmother. Mary testified that Hessie had threatened Scollie. Suspicion also turned to William McGregor, Lundahl’s great-grandfather. Adding to the mystery is the presence of several Aboriginal…

Paddling Routes of North-Central Saskatchewan by Gregory P. Marchildon and Carl Anderson Published by University of Regina Press Review by Keith Foster $24.95 ISBN 978-0-88977-304-2 The photo on the cover of Paddling Routes of North-Central Saskatchewan shows a paddle dipping into the water. If this doesn’t make you want to pack up your troubles and explore the province’s pristine lakes and rivers, then the detailed descriptions and instructions of authors Gregory P. Marchildon and Carl Anderson surely will. Never canoed before? No problem. The authors rate the difficulties of each route so readers can choose the one most suitable for their level of expertise. If you’re up to the challenges as a seasoned canoeist, the authors have suggestive ideas aplenty. Marchildon and Anderson guide readers through twenty-three trips. Each lists the length of the trip in both miles and kilometers, the approximate time it takes to complete the trip, the number of portages required, and a list of map coordinates. Following some of the trip descriptions are endnotes with nifty tidbits of information that may surprise even some long-term Saskatchewan residents. Did you know, for instance, that Ile-a-la-Crosse takes its name from the game of lacrosse? The book provides the…

From Moose to Moccasins: A Step-by-Step Guide to Traditional Hide-Tanning by Jeff Coleclough Published by Kakwa Publishing Review by Keith Foster $17.50 ISBN 978-0-9781555-5-1 For those interested in traditional hide-tanning, From Moose to Moccasins: A Step-by-Step Guide to Traditional Hide-Tanning is the place to start. Jeff Coleclough’s 37-page, coil-bound manual is geared to a very specific audience – those who want to try their hand at turning a raw moose hide into a smoke-tanned piece of leather – and first-timers will likely be very happy this book exists. Sometimes all a person needs to start is knowing where to start, then how to keep going. Unlike instructions in so many owners’ manuals, Coleclough’s step-by step guide to tanning is easy to understand and follow. He takes readers through the stages of framing, fleshing, scraping and de-hairing, greasing, braining, softening, and smoking the hide. Since one step requires mashing the brains of the animal, this aspect may not appeal to those with weak stomachs. Coleclough recommends starting with quality materials, and moose hide as one of the best for making moccasins. “The grain is tighter, the leather wears like iron, and the thickness is excellent for cushioning the feet on rough…