Bestsellers at FriesenPress
The Defiant 511 of the Alberni Indian Residential School
by Evelyn Thompson-George and Art Thompson
Many Indigenous children experienced the grim realities of residential schools—from physical, sexual, and emotional abuse to malnourishment, forced religious indoctrination, and attempted cultural eradication. In this memoir, Evelyn Thompson-George shares her father’s deeply personal account of his time at the Alberni Indian Residential School, where he endured unimaginable abuse from ages five to thirteen. Despite the trauma he faced in remembering and retelling his story, Art Thompson made...
To Be True
The First Caper by K.D. Straus
If you have to choose between going too far or being too late, always choose too far. Marion Pallas is the plain middle sister, the raven between two tropical birds, and that is how the ladies in 1920's London high society treat her with their malignant whispers and snide comments. When Marion exacts her revenge, her misdeed launches a plot to save her involving a motley crew of characters including a Canadian playwright and his theatre company, a notorious gang of female thieves, a...
Stooks on the Horizon
The Story of a Prairie Family Homestead by Jan Kuzina
This is a story of land, a farm that was not just the giver of life’s sustenance but a character in its own right, with its own spirit and vitality found in its black earth, pastures, woods, and sloughs as it moves through seasons. When faded, creased papers from the early 1900s were stumbled upon in an old E.B. Eddy matchbox in her maternal grandfather’s farmhouse, Jan Kuzina began a quest to learn more about her family’s history. As she researched, an incredible story emerged, one of...
Maple Leaves in Mango Trees
Finding Home in West Africa by Raymond G. Lemoine
With retirement approaching and their children having flown the nest, lifelong nomad educators Raymond and his wife, Madeleine Mulaire, make the bold decision to uproot their lives and embark on another overseas posting to Guinea, marking their fourth move abroad. Under military rule following a coup that had taken place the previous year, the West African nation-state is in a state of incredible upheaval, proving challenging even for well-seasoned travellers like Raymond and Madeleine....
From Ancient Gaul to Canada
A Trip Through the Enchanting History of French Canadians by Dennis Kish
From the Celtic peoples of ancient Gaul to the French settlers of Québec, this is the epic tale of how we became Canadians. In 390 BC, the ancient ancestors of the French-speaking peoples lived in a huge region of western Europe known as Gaul. From Ancient Gaul to Canada charts the journey of this culture from Roman times through the formation of France, the founding of Canada’s first European settlement at Québec, the French Revolution, Confederation, the two World Wars, and the creation of...
The Girl Who Flew Over the Honeysuckle Hedge
Her Lifelong Journey of Coping and Healing with C-PTSD by J. Lauren Sangster
“I am brave in ways I no longer thought possible as my resilient part continues to move me forward… I know true triumph of the human spirit.” At five-years-old, young Janet raised out of her body and flew over a honeysuckle hedge. It was this dreamlike experience offering her mind momentary respite from the dysfunction and abuse surrounding her that began her difficult life journey toward healing. In this riveting memoir, J. Lauren Sangster tells her personal story of surviving childhood...
In His Lyrics
by Jackleen Givens
“In His Lyrics” is a deeply personal memoir that offers a window into the stark realities of a family grappling with addiction, mental health issues, chronic homelessness, and a life of crime to support it. It’s a story that contrasts the outwardly normal childhood of Ashton, known for his friendliness and adventurous spirit, with the hidden struggles he faced, leading to extreme behavior and life on the streets by the age of fourteen. The only constant in Ashton’s life was the company of...
When Life Happens
In Poetry and Reflection by Larry Busch
When Life Happens: In Poetry and Reflection is a collection of 70+ poems of mixed genres. Romance and heartbreak, trauma, grief, aging and nature. They are written in a mix of free verse and traditional poetry styles by a Canadian indigenous author. This is a collection of the many social, psychological and philosophies of life. There are of course cowboys, guitars and trains, and sunshine, trees and tears. There are poems to entertain you and poems to cause you to ponder and reflect. Ponder...
Together Still
Love Beyond Death by Linda Hill
With poetic gentleness and vulnerable integrity, Linda Hill's memoir, Together Still: Love Beyond Death portrays Continuing Bonds: A compelling approach to end-of-life accompaniment, death care and bereavement. For four adventurous decades, Linda and her beloved spouse, John Scull, explored the world with wonder and curiosity. They loved each other, their families, and friends wholeheartedly. They cared for nature and their community with spirits of generosity. After John was diagnosed with...
Meanings from A to Z
An Anthology of Poetry by Shirley Kitchen
P is for poetry. Author Shirley Kitchen fashions words together, noting her existence and life around her. She writes of relationships with people and the earth. She speaks of loss, of change, of love and of striving to understand different perspectives. Using the alphabet as a structure for her poetry collection, Kitchen gives new life to words like ruefulness and mediocrity.