National Network for Equitable Library Service

Despite his potential, extraordinary skating skills, and unmatched dedication and endurance, George Faulkner never made the Montreal Canadiens’ roster. But he was trying to break into a famous hockey dynasty never before seen in professional hockey. His story does not just begin and end with the Canadiens; in fact, George Faulkner had more than one opportunity to play in the NHL. His career covers four decades. Many believe the most exciting hockey years were in Harbour Grace during the 1960s where he created a dynasty of his own – the Conception Bay Ceebees.

On the morning of July 1, 1916, at Beaumont-Hamel, the men of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment climbed out of their trenches and advanced into no man’s land. Eric Mackenzie Robertson went over the top on that fateful day—and survived. Almost unbelievably, just four years later, Robertson would become the first born and bred Newfoundlander to compete in the Olympics.

It's never too late to find the life you've always wanted. Bobbi French is just an ordinary person seeking an extraordinary life. For her, that means taking the boldest leap of faith in her life: moving to France to fulfill a lifelong dream. All she has to do is give up her successful medical career in Canada, sell her house, pare down her possessions to only what would fit in a carry-on suitcase, and buy a one-way ticket to Semur-en-Auxois. She also has to ignore the common opinion that she's lost her mind, walking away from it all for a fantasy.

Writing with remarkable openness and passion, T.A. Loeffler recounts her powerful story of preparing for, and attempting to scale, the mighty summit of Mount Everest. With gripping descriptions and spectacular photos, she invites readers into the extreme world of high-altitude climbing. More than a Mountain is also a deeply moving account of how one woman overcame adversity to reach out to young people and show them the power of big dreams and big goals. We follow her intimate and inspiring narrative as she explores her own evolution as a mountaineer and as a practising Buddhist.

The Jack Ford Story: The Newfoundlander in Nagasaki is an amazing story of endurance, courage and survival. In 1940, Jack Ford was an employee of the Newfoundland Railway in a remote settlement of Newfoundland. Having volunteered for service in World War II at the age of twenty-one, Ford encountered the realities of war when the troop ship he was traveling on to England was attacked several times by German U-boats. When the atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki on August 9, 1945, Jack Ford was there - in a prisoner of war camp.

On a June night in 1980, the Linehan household in North Harbour went up in flames. In moments the fire consumed the family's ordinary, loving lives and innocent, human faith that life would always be as it was. Ida, the middle of three girls and one of ten siblings, survived the blaze only to endure weeks and months of treatment and recovery. Her only goal is to spare her family more pain, and she quietly promises herself never to quit and never to complain. She only wants life to be normal, but is that the same as being healed?

First in Line: The Incredible Life of Leonard Stick documents the life of Leonard Stick, a distinguished war veteran, lawman and federal politician who was the 'first' in many historically significant events throughout his lifetime. Stick was the first man to enlist with the Newfoundland Regiment, regional No. 1, when it was reconstructed at the outbreak of WWI. He was also a member of the First Five Hundred, also known at the Blue Puttees and fought in the Battle of Beaumont Hamel. He was promoted to sergeant on September 21, 1914.

In this long-awaited biography, author Harvey Sawler traces the life of Ron Hynes, one of the most respected singer-songwriters in Canadian history. Through personal conversations and interviews, Sawler captures the spirit of an artist whose stock-in-trade has always been authenticity over mere commercial acceptability, providing rare insight into the life of the man who penned some of the country’s best-loved music.

During the past 33 years, St. John's businessman Bruce Templeton has devoted the month of December to visiting children and assisting Santa Claus. At school parties, country clubs, or in the critical-care unit of hospitals, young people ask him profound questions about Santa Claus and the true meaning of Christmas. Templeton has collected hundreds of stories and questions during more than 1000 visits - some of them curious, some happy, and some heartbreaking. In his memoir of three decades he shares some of the most unforgettable questions.

The human story has always been one of perseverance--often against remarkable odds. The most astonishing survival tale of all might be that of 16th-century Dutch explorer William Barents and his crew of sixteen, who ventured farther north than any Europeans before and, on their third polar exploration, lost their ship off the frozen coast of Nova Zembla to unforgiving ice. The men would spend the next year fighting off ravenous polar bears, gnawing hunger, and endless winter.