YesterCanada by Canadian author Elma Schemenauer is a captivating collection of short stories. From deep-sea adventures to early settlers in French Canada, to prairie homesteaders and First Nations people, to a well told railway story, these tales are all eminently readable and entertaining.

The work cries out for a sequel.

In this tamed, homogenized and dependent world, there are so few ‘characters’ left. The author does well to grab these old ‘character’-generated stories before they are lost to memory.

Reg Quist, author of Noah Gates and Hamilton Robb

In her new book, YesterCanada: Historical Tales of Mystery and Adventure, Canadian author Elma Schemenauer has gathered a collection of interesting, intriguing and entertaining stories derived from Canadian history, folklore, myths and legends.

Each story has an enticing title like “Manitoba’s Haunted Horse” or “The Woman Who Walked To The Top Of The World,” drawing the reader into a world now long gone.

The writer has done her research, informing the reader of little known facts in a clear and precise manner. Her writing style is pleasant and easy to read.

YesterCanada: Historical Tales of Mystery and Adventure by Elma Schemenauer is an entertaining book from start to finish.

Author Elma Schemenauer has researched and brought to life 30 intriguing tales from Canada’s past, in a selection as broad as our nation’s geography. Stories feature First Nations tribes, visitors, and immigrants, in settings from British Columbia to Newfoundland, and range from as early as the 1200s to the 1900s.

Vignettes, with accompanying photos, range from the light-hearted to the tragic, and from fact to myth. There is lost gold, murder, shipwreck, even a mysterious infant floating down a river to safety. Meet a hermit, a priest, a prime minister’s wife, a bride imported from France. Read about courageous men and women, others bent on what their neighbours called fools’ quests, and about legends, mysteries, and drama.

Stories are told in an accessible and engaging tone, making YesterCanada an ideal book for adults and young adults alike. It would also be a good choice for reading aloud to older children, to cultivate an interest in the lesser-known details of Canadian history.

[Advance review copy provided by the author.]

YesterCanada brings to the reader thirty traditional tales, all rooted in Canada’s lands and waters, from coast to coast to coast. Most have been marinated in ancient times and cultural differences; others sneak quietly into the twentieth century. The author displays her writing skills by portraying rugged and remote as well as more urban scenes in such vivid word pictures that the reader may experience a feeling of actually being a part of the image. Characterization brings to life the actors in the drama.

This collection of Canadian historical drama not only enlightens but also entertains and deserves a must read sticker. Five Star rating.

-Submitted by Lloyd Jeck, author of: In the Shadow of the Peaks: Rocky Mountain Tales and British Columbia TRAILS Heading North