• Ride The Rising Wind: One Womans Journey Across Canada

Ride The Rising Wind: One Womans Journey Across Canada

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978-1-897126-05-9 | 2006 April | 288 Pages

ABOUT THIS BOOK

In May 1949, at the age of twenty, Barbara Kingscote left her farm in Mascouche, Quebec, and set out for the Pacific Ocean on horseback. Barbara and her equine companion Zazy reached the West Coast just over a year later, after travelling 4,000 miles and discovering the heart of this great country.

A touching coming of age tale, Ride the Rising Wind invites us all to travel along with Barbara and Zazy as they struggle through the harsh wilderness and still-developing urban centres of the Canadian landscape in the mid twentieth century. With only $100, a map, and a handful of supplies, the intrepid duo made their trek across the country counting on luck, determination, and the generosity of strangers to see them through.

From the vast shores of the Great Lakes, to the stark beauty of the plains, to the towering heights of the Rockies, Ride the Rising Wind reveals Canada through the fresh eyes of a brave young woman discovering both herself and her country on the journey of a lifetime.

"For sixteen months, Barbara and Zazy relied on the kindness of strangers and their own courage and sense of humour to cross a wild and magnificent land. . . . If you’re looking for a reminder of the basic decency of Canadians, or their spirit of adventure, ride along on this journey into the warm heart of Canada. This is the country we need to rediscover. . . . I turned the last page slowly because I didn’t want the journey to end.”
~ Linda Goyette, author of Edmonton In Our Own Words


“Anyone who delights in journeys of discovery will love this book. For all readers there is a bonus, and it’s historical. Kingscote traversed the country in the instant between World War II and the mechanization of Canadian agriculture. In 1949 and 1950 nearly every farm in the country still depended partly on horsepower that was actually horse-power. When Zazy and her trusting rider turned into a country lane—any country lane—at the end of a long day, they were quite likely to find a barn, a stall and some hay awaiting.”
~ Ben Gadd, author of Handbook of the Canadian Rockies


"This is an incredibly enveloping story of not just the actual distance covered on horseback, but the relationship between man and animal, man and nature, and man and man. And then there are the extraordinary revelations that Kingscote discovers along the way. Often the hardships of such a journey are what people end up talking about, but in this case, it should be how the story is written. You do not have to love horses, travels, or Western Canada to love this book. You just have to love great writing and a fascinating story."
~ Canadian Literature