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Scratch (Paperback)
Audrey Henshaw; Illustrated by Susan Krupp; Thomas W Brown
bundle available
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R461
Discovery Miles 4 610
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Ships in 10 - 15 working days
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The time is 1916. Sara is a 10 year old girl in rural Prince Edward
Island. Roy is a 10 year old boy in mining town, Nova Scotia.
Through their eyes we see, feel and experience their childhood
challenges. We follow them through adolescence and their turbulent
teen years. We celebrate their courtship and suffer their lost
innocence in the wedding ritual. They take us through the Great
Depression and share with us the frustrations, dreams and
challenges they face in adulthood. As parents they introduce us to
their children. This story appeals to all ages because Sara and Roy
hold up a mirror and ask the reader to recognize truth about the
human condition for many Canadian families through difficult
economic times. We witness love that does not come neatly wrapped
and experience the quiet, sometimes desperate, drama of lives
unfolding.
Excerpt from: Moose Road, a Canadian Tragedy by Audrey Austin
Chapter One: SEVEN DWELL NEAR "Tell me a story, tell me a story,
tell me a story and remember what you said." Ever since that
terrible day of the tragic accident each of the residents who live
by my side has a tale to tell. Yes, everyone has a story and each
story teller speaks his own truth. What I do find curious is the
fact that no two stories are alike. Each is unique in its own way.
I am of the opinion that truth is multi-sided and speaks from many
hearts. A very long time ago I heard someone repeat the words of
Winston Churchill who is purported to have said, "The truth is
incontrovertible. Malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it,
but in the end, there it is." Yes, indeed, there it is. Truth is
multi-sided and it dares to speak from many hearts. I have been
around for a very long time. I existed in this very location even
before man decided to give me a name. I guess that makes me old
and, that being the case, I confess I am very old. I was here
before any person chose this place to build a home. I have always
thought I possessed a firm grasp on reality but since the day of
the tragedy I am questioning for the first time the meaning and the
impact of truth. I have more questions than answers. Is it possible
that truth is, indeed, no more than one's personal perception? Each
individual's truth, until shared, is locked in a sacred space in
one's memory. Memory does have its share of weakness. It can be
faulty. As weeks turn into months memory is often tested. "Tell me
a story and remember what you said." I find it very interesting
that the residents of the seven farms impacted by the tragedy each
retain a different personal memory of the accident and its
aftermath. Although I am well aware that it would not occur to any
ordinary human that an old long-travelled country road could
possibly have the capacity to remember, I can assure you that I do.
Yes, indeed, I do have a memory. Even though I am very old it
remains a good one. I do remember well. Some thoughts give me
reason to smile while other memories I would prefer to forget. I
have learned that the more painful memories are the most stubborn;
the least likely to be forgotten and the most likely to be
remembered. Even when a human believes he has managed to bury a
painful memory he has not. That remembrance will pop up like a
jack-in-the-box. It will present itself at the most odd and
unexpected of times and sometimes even in the form of a recurrent
dream. Of course, I am not a human. I can assure you that I am a no
nonsense road; plain, practical and from my very first appearance
on earth many generations ago I have made it my focused mission to
do my duty and fulfill my purpose as I see fit. I have always taken
great pride in my existence and to this very day I do my best to
serve those who choose to travel upon my surface. Unlike humans who
are, I have learned, sometimes very superficial creatures, I am not
shallow. I don't blame the travelers for being unable to see
beneath my surface. But I assure you I am not just the visible thin
layer of gravel you might observe at first glance. I do have
substance. Yes, I am old now. I have been here in this spot in
northern Ontario, Canada for many interesting and enduring
lifetimes. Although I am a road less travelled I am still in pretty
good shape. I expect I'll be here for a few more generations. I can
see no good reason why I should not continue to be here. I have
never existed anywhere else on this earth and this is my home.
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