Minerva's Voyage

  To Tom Reedy, an expert on William Strachey,

  To Martin Hyatt, who supplied research papers from EEBO and elsewhere that I needed,

  To Sean Phillips, who showed me the backstreet (but legal) way to access JSTOR and the OED,

  To Ted Alexander, who patiently gave me advice and fixed my computer every time it crashed,

  To Barbara Berson, who took the trouble to review the text,

  To my dear friend Charis Wahl, who discussed the book with me on numerous occasions while plying me with dim sum,

  To the late and much missed K.C. Ligon of New York, who was my sounding board on too many occasions to count,

  To all my other friends, writerly, neighbourly, and Shakespearean,

  To my docs at PMH, especially Doctor Rob Buckman, who made me laugh through good times and bad and told me not to sell the furniture,

  To the Toronto Arts Council, whose very generous grant gave me the time I needed to finish the book,

  And to William Strachey, who, although he may not have been a source for Shakespeare, was certainly a source for me.

  MORE GREAT FICTION

  FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

  BAND OF ACADIANS

  by John Skelton

  978-1- 55488-040-9 / $12.99

  In 1755, on the eve of the Seven Years’ War, fifteen-year-old Nola and her Acadian parents face expulsion from Grand Pré by the British. Nola, her friends Hector and Jocelyne, Nola’s grandfather, and a band of bold teenagers manage to flee by boat only to encounter challenges tougher than their wildest imaginings. Their destination is French-occupied Fort Louisbourg, but along the way hostile soldiers, a harsh environment, enigmatic Mi’kmaq, and superpowers at war turn their journey into a series of hair-raising adventures.

  Will the resourceful teenagers finally discover what it takes to prevail in a continent poised on the edge of irrevocable change?

  BILLY GREEN SAVES

  by Ben Guyatt

  978-1- 55488-041-6 / $12.99

  When the War of 1812 breaks out between the British in Canada and the United States, eighteen-year-old Billy Green is an expert woodsman with romantic ideas of combat. Struggling with his father’s ideals and with his attraction to Sarah, the daughter of an American sympathizer, Billy soon finds himself faced with a series of fateful decisions.

  Then, on June 5, 1813, he spots the massive American forces camped in the tiny hamlet of Stoney Creek. Against all odds, the young man rides three hours in the middle of the night to Burlington Heights to warn the British.

  Can Billy Green help save the day? The ensuing historic battle will forever change the face of a nation and present Billy with challenges that will shake him to his very core.

  BRIDGET’S BLACK ’47

  by Dorothy Perkyns

  978-1- 55488-400-1 / $12.99

  Bridget Quinlan is a spirited thirteen-year-old when the Irish potato famine of the 1840s shatters her life. Although her home is a hovel with few possessions, her family survives as long as her father can grow a good crop of potatoes on his small piece of land. Tragedy strikes when crops fail and typhus spreads, killing one of the boys in her school and then her brother, Rory.

  With soldiers evicting the ill and unemployed, the Quinlans are forced to accept the offer of a passage to Canada. Appalling conditions onboard contribute to many deaths so that by the time they reach Grosse Île, Quebec, Bridget and her sister are alone in the world. The two are adopted by a kind farming family and gradually settle into their new life. After all the sadness and loss, a surprising turn of events brings them lasting joy.