In 'Snowflakes and Sunbeams; Or, The Young Fur-traders: A Tale of the Far North', R. M. Ballantyne takes the reader on a thrilling adventure set in the rugged and unforgiving Canadian wilderness. The book combines elements of adventure, survival, and exploration, with vivid descriptions of the Arctic landscape that make the reader feel as if they are right there alongside the characters. Ballantyne's writing style is engaging and immersive, drawing readers into the world of the young fur-traders as they navigate the challenges of their environment and the trials of growing up in a harsh land. The novel also touches on themes of friendship, loyalty, and the resilience of the human spirit, making it a rewarding read for fans of adventure literature. As a prominent writer of juvenile fiction in the 19th century, Ballantyne's works continue to captivate readers with their timeless appeal and enduring themes of courage and determination. 'Snowflakes and Sunbeams' is a must-read for anyone looking for a gripping tale of survival and self-discovery in the frozen wilderness of the Far North.

Ever since the first exploratory expeditions in the early modern period, North America has epitomized to Europeans a promise and the hope for the fulfilment of great expectations, be it of more freedom, greater wealth, social liberation or religious tolerance. While numerous features in this dialogic intercontinental relationship will hold true for North America in its entirety, the vast northern territories which we know as Canada today began to emerge early on as a specific iconic location in European mind-maps, and they definitely acquired a distinctive profile after the formation of the USA. As a rich source of cultural exchange and an important partner in political and economic cooperation Canada has come to occupy an important position in the cultural discourses of many European nations. It is these refractions and images of Canada which this volume thoroughly explores in European literature and culture. The contributions include literature, philosophy, language, life-writing and the concept of 'Heimat' (homeland) as well as the cultural impact of the World Wars. While there is an emphasis on literary texts, other fields of cultural representation are also included.

This work is a comparative study of nineteenth-century English-Canadian and French Canadian novel prefaces, a previously unexplored literary topic. As a study in Comparative Literature - with the application of a specific literary framework and methodology - the study conforms to theoretical and methodological postulates formulated in and prescribed by this framework when applied. This a priori postulate necessitates that the research on and the presentation of the Canadian novel preface be carried out in a specific manner, as follows. First, the study will establish the hypothesis that the preface to nineteenth-century English-Canadian and French-Canadian novels is a genre in its own right. This hypothesis will rest on the following: 1) a taxonomical survey of related terms meaning "preface"; 2) a survey of secondary Iiterature of works dealing with the preface; 3) a discussion of the theoretical framework and methodology of the Empirical Theory of Literature and its appropriateness for the study of the preface; and 4) a discussion of the process of the compilation of the corpus of nineteenth-century Canadian novel prefaces (Chapter one). In a second step, the theoretical postulate outlined in the hypothesis will be put into practice by the development and production of a preface typology (Chapter two). In a third step, further tenets of the Empirical Theory of Literature will be tested on the corpus of the prefaces (Chapter three). In a fourth step, the prefaces will be analysed following the tenets formulated in and prescribed by the systemic framework applied (Chapter four).