From his earliest days as a midshipman in the new American Navy to his eventual ownership of a vast shipping empire, Richard Holmwood displays an uncanny sixth sense for the sea and heroics. Richard battles Barbary Pirates off North Africa, then earns a fortune as a privateer during the War of 1812, where he is called ÒThe KilldeerÓ by his enemies. At warÕs end, the Navy sends Richard to defend the Great Lakes territory. At that remote outpost, Richard and his young wife and family struggle with unimaginably harsh weather and isolation, longing to return to their home in coastal Virginia. This sweeping story of American history shows personal triumph and frontier spirit that overcomes tragedy and loss.

From his earliest days as a midshipman in the new American Navy to his eventual ownership of a vast shipping empire, Richard Holmwood displays an uncanny sixth sense for the sea and heroics. Richard battles Barbary Pirates off North Africa, then earns a fortune as a privateer during the War of 1812, where he is called “The Killdeer” by his enemies. At war’s end, the Navy sends Richard to defend the Great Lakes territory. At that remote outpost, Richard and his young wife and family struggle with unimaginably harsh weather and isolation, longing to return to their home in coastal Virginia. This sweeping story of American history shows personal triumph and frontier spirit that overcomes tragedy and loss.

Through the eyes of a child, the author relates a personal experience that reveals God's presence all around us. When we pay attention, God shows himself in the creation and teaches us that he is always present and active in our lives. A simple story of an ordinary bird demonstrates God's love and careful planning. By pondering the plight of the killdeer, we can learn about our own relationship with our Creator. This is an inspirational read-aloud story designed to touch the heart of a child. So what about you and me? How does God orchestrate our lives for his purpose? Does God have a plan for you? Listen to the killdeer. Do you know what the killdeer knows?

A mother tries to protect her sons. One is just a boy of fourteen and vulnerable, the other is much older and deeply troubled, but in her efforts to control their fragile worlds, she opens wide a door to a scenario that is much worse. The naive boy is caught in a dire crosscurrent, being that he's been conditioned to step lightly around his brother (a pedophile) as not to push him over the edge-this, while a rapist is combing the woods nearby, looking for soft, compliant boys just like him. What can possibly bring clarity and light to a young man ripped to shreds by this unforeseeable predicament? The year is 1981. Years later, near the turn of the century, he is estranged by all. He goes alone into the realm of the mind and nature. He listens. He answers the challenge to observe life carefully, and then to dig down deep for the revelation his dogged perseverance will bring.

The story shows that thanking those who are kind to you is always appreciated.

WINNER OF THE 75th GOVERNOR GENERAL'S LITERARY AWARD FOR POETRY WINNER OF THE 25th TRILLIUM BOOK PRIZE WINNER OF AN ALCUIN AWARD FOR DESIGN SHORTLISTED FOR THE GRIFFIN POETRY PRIZE These are poems of critical thought that have been influenced by old fiddle tunes. These are essays that are not out to persuade so much as ruminate, invite, accrue. Hall is a surruralist (rural & surreal), and a terroir-ist (township-specific regionalist). He offers memories of, and homages to -- Margaret Laurence, Bronwen Wallace, Libby Scheier, and Daniel Jones, among others. He writes of the embarrassing process of becoming a poet, and of his push-pull relationship with the whole concept of home. His notorious 2004 chapbook essay The Bad Sequence is also included here, for a wider readership, at last. It has been revised. (It's teeth have been sharpened.) In this book, the line is the unit of composition; the reading is wide; the perspective personal: each take a give, and logic a drawback. Language is not a smart-aleck; it's a sacred tinkerer. Readers are invited to watch awe become a we. In Fred Wah's phrase, what is offered here is "the music at the heart of thinking."