by Sheree Fitch
Dr. Terry Punch, former neighbour, historian and genealogist shared my initial entry into this world with enthusiasm and put expert research skills to work at the provincial archives. He produced a treasure trove of facts, and brought me the picture of John Hindley. To Pam Punch, your wise, intuitive and generous nature taught me lessons in courage and open-heartedness. Our kinship has given me much beyond words and faith in other worlds. Two other Chocolate Lake friends are linked to this book. Alex Astbury taught me to make a bowline knot and Faune Creaser connected me with Bill Matheson, who generously offered me a copy of The Coal Was There For Burning (Marine Media Management). Another book I found useful for background was Keith Hatchard’s The Two Atlantics (Nimbus Publishing). Bruce Nunn passed on the name of Anne Bartlett who gave me a contact with a Hindley (Hanley) descendent. It was a fortuitous meeting, which urged further exploration.
Jenny Durant and Melanie Colbert read, offered feedback, and helped fix typos in early stages.
To the McNally family—Danny and Freda and their daughters—for their help, especially to Danielle for lending me her training diary. And to Mary McNally, who supports authors by reading and buying their books I owe royal-ty thanks.
To my amazing women friends who listened all the while or gave cheerleading at crucial moments: Janet Blackwell, Karleen Bradford, Martha Brooks, Carol Bruneau, Gwen Davies, Maggie DesVries, Dawn Fisher-King, Thora Howell, Alison Gordan, Rachna Gilmore, Joan Tetzlaff, Pam Donoghue, Sara Filbee, Lian Goodall, Alma Lee, Janet Lunn, Mary Machiussi, Carol McDougall, Sue Newhook, Caroline Parry, Joanne Sadler, Shelley Tanaka, Marie Thompson, Dawna Ring, Noreen Smiley, Joanna Stanbridge, Nancy Watson, Deborah Wiles, Carol Campbell Williamson, and members of the Lethbridge and Ottawa Children’s Literature Roundtables. Laura Smith allowed me to reference her in name. Her version of “My Bonny Lies Over the Ocean” is on the CD Between the Earth and My Soul. Margot Brunelle, Rose Vaughan, Ian Wallace, and Barbara Mercer found their way into this book in disguise. …
To my community of friends at City Fitness in Washington, my refuge between pages—you lift the weight of the words off my shoulders.
My husband, Gilles, is anchor and life raft in the sea life I’m still dreaming. Your belief that even the roughest waters are navigable gives me faith it might be so.
Finally, a special child named Julie Lalonde made me promise to tell people unicorns were real. There are no unicorns in this book. But during the writing of it, I saw one. I am so grateful for the precious time I had with Julie. Her spirit inspired all of us who knew her. She was the angel by my side during this long voyage of my imagination and often held my hand if not my pen.
AUTHOR’S NOTE
The Gravesavers is a work of fiction partially informed by a real event. It does contain resemblances to people both living and dead. In some instances, I have used real names. Other likenesses might well be coincidental. If I have offended anyone (living or dead), I plead poetic license. I have respectfully but intentionally twisted strands of historical and geographical reality to accommodate the telling of Minn’s story. For anyone wishing authoritative historical facts on the wreck of the SS Atlantic, visit the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax, Nova Scotia, The Nova Scotia Provincial Archives, and the SS Atlantic Heritage Park in Terence Bay, Nova Scotia.
ALSO BY SHEREE FITCH
CHILDREN’S POETRY/PICTURE BOOKS
Toes in My Nose
Sleeping Dragons All Around
Merry-Go-Day
Mabel Murple
I Am Small
There Were Monkeys in my Kitchen!
If You Could Wear My Sneakers
There’s a Mouse in My House
If I Were the Moon
No Two Snowflakes
Pocket Rocks
POETRY
In This House Are Many Women
CHAPTER BOOKS
The Hullaballoo Bugaboo Day The Other Author Arthur One More Step
EDUCATIONAL
Writing Maniac
Every Body’s Different on Every Body Street
The Tale of the Hidden Story
Persnickety Pete
PLAYS
Rummabubba Lidmaker of the Snufflewogs
The Monkeys are Back and we’re Out of Bananas
When Dinosaurs Dine by Moonlight
If You Could Wear My Sneakers
Like a Little Candle
COPYRIGHT © 2005 SHEREE FITCH
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
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THE GRAVESAVERS
Seal Books/published by arrangement with Doubleday Canada
Doubleday Canada edition published 2005
Seal Books edition published December 2006
eISBN: 978-0-385-67250-4
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