John Bemrose’s highly acclaimed national bestseller tells the story of a family who slips from fortune’s favour in a southwestern Ontario mill town during the mid-1960s. Like his father before him, Alf Walker is a fixer in the local textile mill. When a labour dispute forces him to choose between loyalty to his friends and his own advancement, Alf’s actions inadvertently set in motion a series of events that will reverberate far into the future. Meanwhile, Alf’s wife, Margaret, must reconcile her middle-class upbringing with her blue-collar reality, as her marriage is undermined by forces she cannot name. And after their eldest son, Joe, falls headlong for a girl he first glimpses on a bridge, the boy finds his world overturned by the passion and uncertainty of young love. At once intimate and epic in scope, The Island Walkers follows the Walker family to the very bottom of their night, only to confirm, in the end, life’s regenerative power.

A powerful first novel about a family that slips from fortune's favor and a town broken by the forces of modernity Across a bend of Ontario's Attawan River lies the Island, a working-class neighborhood of whitewashed houses and vine-freighted fences, black willows and decaying sheds. Here, for generations, the Walkers have lived among the other mill workers. The family's troubles begin in the summer of 1965, when a union organizer comes to town and Alf Walker is forced to choose between loyalty to his friends at the mill and advancement up the company ranks. Alf's worries are aggravated by his wife, Margaret, who has never reconciled her middle-class English upbringing to her blue-collar reality. As the summer passes, Joe, their son, is also forced to reckon with his family's standing when he falls headlong for a beautiful newcomer on a bridge—a girl far beyond him, with greater experience and broader horizons. As the threat of mill closures looms, the Walkers grapple with their personal crises, just as the rest of the town fights to protect its way of life amid the risks of unionization and the harsh demands of corporate power. Superbly crafted and deeply moving, this remarkable debut follows the Walkers to the very bottom of their night only to confirm, in the end, life's ultimate hopefulness. The Island Walkers is at once a love letter to a place, a gripping family saga, and a testimony to the emergence of an important new novelist.

In the heart of cottage country in Ontario, bordering on a native reservation, Ann and Richard are confronted with the abrupt reappearance after ten years of a local man, Billy. His presence once again in their lives brings back powerful memories and rekindles old conflicts, love, and a betrayal, as each of their past and present stories gradually unfolds during one 1980s summer. Containing all of the elements for which The Island Walkers was celebrated, The Last Woman envelops us in Bemrose’s flawlessly crafted and complete world, where each character is unforgettably alive and real, and the land itself breathes its own story into our hearts.

Trying astral projection is just a joke. Zach never expects to leave his body and soar into a strange shadow place. On his first trip, he meets Emory, another astral traveler who’s intriguing (and cute). Then Zach’s little brother Gilbert disappears. Zach and Emory try to rescue Gilbert, but there’s a menacing creature in their way.

A guidebook to 44 walks on Scotland’s Isle of Arran (plus one on neighbouring Holy Isle) exploring the island’s stunning mountains and coast. Although there are a handful of easier routes, many of the walks involve pathless terrain and a few of the mountain traverses call for some exposed scrambling. With many walks accessible by public transport, the routes range from 5 to 23km (3–14 miles) and can be enjoyed in 2–7 hours. The final ten routes can be combined to form the 7-day Arran Coastal Way, with optional inland variants. 1:50,000 OS maps included for each walk Sized to easily fit in a jacket pocket GPX files available to download Information on refreshments The region’s geology, history, plants, wildlife and local points of interest

A guidebook to 15 day walks and 1 multi-day trek on the Isles of Rum, Eigg, Muck, Canna, Coll and Tiree. Exploring the beautiful scenery of the Western Isles, the routes are suitable for walkers of all abilities. The day walks range in length from 9 to 27km (5–17 miles) and include a challenging round of Rum Cuillin. A 3-day trek around the coast of Rum covering 40km (25 miles) is also described. 1:50,000 OS maps included for each walk Detailed information on public transport to and around the islands Highlights include an ascent of An Sgurr Information included on local history, geology and wildlife