Drifting Home By Pierre Berton
McClelland and Stewart 1973
For those of you who have read this blog regularly, will know that I come from New Zealand. And how since I have been in Canada, I have fallen in love with the Yukon Territory.
For two reasons. 1 - its history and 2 - its wonderful geography that is so reminescent of New Zealand. It is my solemn vow that I will see Dawson City, Yukon and the Northern Lights before I die.
So when I found this book in a Goodwill store last week, I jumped on it. First because it was by Pierre Berton, one of my most favourite Canadian authors, and secondly because it was another personal memoir, this one being somewhat different from his two previous biographies.
This memoir is about an 11 day boating trip taken by Pierre Berton, his wife Janet and all their 7 kids down the Yukon River in August 1972. The book includes many personal stories about Pierre and his childhood in Dawson city and along the Yukon River. Some of these stories I have read in his other autobiographies (previously reviewed on this blog) and some are new. All the stories about his kids are new to me and it was exciting to get to know them.
This book has photos of Pierre's kids - as they looked in 1972. His eldest daughter was 24, and the youngest daughter, Perri, turned 8. I was also 8 in 1972, so Perri was born the same year as me and is just a few months younger.
This is not a long book. Just 174 pages (well the first edition hardback I have is 174 pages). I know the book has been reprinted as a paperback with a more interesting photo on the cover, but I love knowing that I have an original first edition black cover.
I read this book for the Canadian Book Challenge
2 comments:
Sounds interesting. I need to find a novel about/by someone from this province for the challenge. I will try to find it.
Technically, Yukon is a Territory, NOT a Province. It is governed from Ottawa.
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