At FriesenPress we celebrate each and every book our authors publish. Below are a few that staff have nominated as their picks. Selections change frequently, so be sure to check back for new recommended books. And, of course, all the titles you see below are available here at the FriesenPress Bookstore. Happy reading!
A moving work of autobiographical fiction, That Lucky Old Son takes readers on a journey of adventure, danger, and self-discovery as the author weaves his own memories with his father’s experiences in Bomber Command with No. 158 Squadron RAF during the Second World War. Writing from a child’s point of view, Mark Cote combines known facts with what he imagines his father doing from basic training through to being shot down and captured by the Germans. He poignantly communicates the terror, uncertainty, and fleeting hope felt by the crew, transporting readers back in time to 1940s Europe. Having lost his father when he was only eight years old, Cote embarks on a quest to discover the man who left him too soon, but who left behind a legacy of courage, love, and faith. That Lucky Old Son is a book that will educate, inform, move, and inspire readers of all ages.
In book II, “Kopan and the Honeybees,” Kopan, a lively little wood fairy is faced with an emergency situation. It appears that the beehive is about to dislodge it self from the great tree. Kopan realizes he must act quickly in order to prevent the hive from destruction which could cause the loss of the entire honey harvest. The problem is that the bees are so upset they won’t listen to him. This frantic situation calls for Kopan to keep a cool head, confront the menace and also find the bee queen. He will need her help in restoring some calm. Only Kopan with his amazing speed and quick wit could possibly challenge a problem of this magnitude. Who or what is causing the beehive to dislodge, and even more of a mystery, why? These fully illustrated books present a charming and adventurous life in the forest of the Evergreen Wood. Through a variety of situations, mishaps and discoveries, these delightful creatures explore, challenge and conquer. As they face some dangerous and even threatening problems, these forest pals find the meaning of loyalty and bravery as they face numerable circumstances and build a bond of true friendship.
“I fell upon a caravan of destiny unknown …” Taking a Cruise on a Dusty Gravel Road is a collection of personal accounts and day-to-day observations about life, love, family and nature—moments in time filtered through a poet’s senses. The sound of a revving Harley. The sweet smell of rains and morning dew. Crossroads that streak the day and night. A glimpse of past and present. “I come to that place where true love and grace make me feel like staying.” Share each personal encounter and savour the laughter, lightness and reflections on the gift of life.
It’s 1933 and Mabel just wants to bake bread. She leaves the cold shack she shares with her father for the warmth of her kneading table at Cameron’s store and gets caught in a snow storm, sparking events that expose the raw humanity of those around her. Loyalty and betrayal, guilt and shame, and faith and doubt collide as the dirty secrets of the bleak coal mining community throw lives into turmoil. A series of brutal attacks, a murder, and an ambitious sergeant intent on seeing someone hang, reveal a town, oppressed as much by its dreary prospects, as it is by its institutionalized corruption, sexism and racism. Mabel just wants to bake bread, but she has her own secrets to protect. The Bread Maker is a rich, beautifully told narrative that seamlessly weaves humour and tragedy into a touching story about life, love and the potential of the human spirit to overcome great odds.
During a very special summer, Michael learns that the cabin and the lake he has known and loved throughout his childhood is a special and mysterious place that belongs to many. As he sets out one morning to catch a fish, he meets Leland Yellowbird, a young First Nations man, and suddenly, strange things begin to happen! Can birds talk? Can Leland and his grandfather really disappear? How do they know special things about the lake? Are First Nations people magic? This chance meeting teaches Michael that the lake he loves has existed with many neighbors from generation to generation and that some of the greatest lessons learned come from an appreciation of nature, and the harmony of young and old, from one culture to another.
Medic Criss Hinson had been in Vietnam for only four days when unauthorized, he joined a flight in need of a medic to help transport wounded back to Da Nang. The plane was hit by machine gun rounds and forced to land in nearby rice paddies. Its passengers included four Green Berets, who along with Criss and the other men aboard had to fight a deadly battle with a Viet Cong patrol to reach a Marine outpost. Because of his varied skills and performance under pressure, for the rest of his tour in Vietnam, Criss was part of many dangerous missions, some outside the military’s standard rules and regulations, and eventually he became a go-to medic for the legendary Air America. With wit, brash humor, vivid expression, and richly expressed feeling, Unauthorized Acts takes the reader on a roller coaster ride of missions, rescues, field duties, hospital assignments, and sudden shocking horror juxtaposed against the ordinary or ridiculous. Hinson recreates the war from a fresh and unusual perspective that is revealed to the reader in a sometimes unsettling, hilarious, or often profoundly moving way.
Would you say your dog listens to you well? Does she come when you call her? Does he stay when you tell him to? Are you worried about his safety when you're out walking? Are you worried about YOUR safety when you're out walking (especially on ice)? This book will take you step by step through the education of your dog on these behaviors and many, many more. You can prepare your dog for success in obedience competitions if that is your goal; all the information and training techniques you will need are included. It's time to get your dog trained! Read on!
When the young Jack MacDonald travelled to Lima, Peru in the late seventies, he had no idea how quickly his life would spiral out of control. Vice and violence become the driving forces in his life, guided by the shaking hands of two fellow travellers who are all in, to win or lose, to kill or be killed. As the country struggles with its own internal conflicts, which threaten to tear it apart, Jack has to find a way out of his own losing game, to create a worthwhile future for himself from a decidedly questionable past.
