A Year of Living Generously follows award-winning journalist Lawrence Scanlan as he volunteers with 12 different charities, among them well-known institutions Habitat for Humanity, the St. Vincent de Paul Society and Canadian Crossroads.Drawing from first-hand experiences - serving in a soup kitchen in Ontario, building houses in post-Katrina New Orleans and teaching at a women’s radio station in Senegal - Scanlan tests th...

Part history, part memoir, this tale of Canada’s heritage horse is a moving odyssey into the past — and one man’s heart.Saving what’s left of our history often falls to a passionate few. This is the case with a group of horse breeders who have pledged to re-establish Canada’s heritage horse, aptly called the Canadian — a breed descended from the Norman horses that took European knights into battle. Habitants of old Quebec called this uncommonly strong breed le petit cheval de fer —...

Twice a year, in summer and in winter, appointments to the Order of Canada are posted in newspapers across the country. The range of professions represented are often dizzying, but there are common themes in the choices: excellence, service to the nation, passion, innovation, commitment, dedication, brilliance. The order’s motto effectively captures the generous and selfless spirit of these people: Desiderantes meliorem patriam—they desire a better country.The Order of Canada—our n...

On December 15, 2008, two snowmobilers discovered a pair of stranded horses atop B.C.’s Mount Renshaw in the Canadian Rockies. Belle and Sundance were a sorry sight—they were emaciated, shivering and trapped in a small shelter they had made for themselves by tramping down the six-foot-deep snow. The next morning, a party of four from the nearby town of McBride was sent back up the mountain with a bale of hay, a handgun and a heartbreaking choice to make: either feed Belle and Sundance, or ...

Carole Fletcher's story opens on a November morning in 1975. She began this day as a striking young teacher in a happy relationship; a horse lover and car enthusiast -- ultimately, a young woman eager for what lay ahead. But a gasoline explosion changed all that, leaving her with second- and third-degree burns over sixty-five percent of her body. At day's end, surgeons warned she had a one-in-ten chance of surviving the night and that even if she did, it would be more than likely she would...

National Bestseller ¸ Globe and Mail BestsellerMore than any other creature, the beautiful and spirited horse has shaped the course of human history. To gallop on horseback even once is to understand instantly why humans have been connecting with horses for more than 6,000 years. Thoughtful, lyrical, exhaustively researched and generously illustrated, Wild About Horses illuminates and chronicles the ancient, powerful and mystical bond between horses and humans.

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The “classic American dream story” (USA Today) about a man and his horse, an unlikely duo whose legendary rise to stardom in show jumping captivated the nation, from the award-winning author of The Perfect Horse and The Ride of Her Life“If you loved the story of Seabiscuit, the surprise champion racehorse . . . check out the true story of Snowman.”—San Jose Mercury News...

When Jacqueline dies suddenly, her stubborn draft horse Groucho becomes the reluctant inheritance of seventy-seven-year-old stable owner Doyle. In working-class Montreal, an unlikely friendship develops between the grieving horse and the patient old man who understands that trust comes slowly. As city development threatens their stable and violence intrudes through unexpected quarters, Doyle, Groucho, and Jacqueline's estranged daughter Louise form an unlikely family. Together they discove...

Despite her own health challenges, Anne Gurchick follows her passion for animals to Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans."Saved is an honest account of the power of purpose and commitment… Anne walks through her deepest fears and discovers hope, humor and unconditional love amidst immense devastation. Allow yourself to be inspired…!"Annie Denver, MASaved through her selfless efforts, Anne finds strength and healing in rescuing stranded dogs."In the middle...

The remarkable story of Native Dancer, one of the most celebrated thoroughbred racehorses of all time, will captivate the same readers who made Seabiscuit a #1 New York Times bestseller.In the early 1950s, a rising star flickered across millions of black-and-white TV sets. Nicknamed “The Grey Ghost,” Native Dancer was a blueblood thoroughbred with a taste for drama, courtesy of his come-from-behind running style, and impressive credits: He finished first i...

A Virginia veterinarian shares even more captivating, heartwarming, and humorous stories from his practice in this memoir for animal lovers.Bruce R. Coston's first book, Ask the Animals, earned him high praise for being another James Herriot. Now, in his delightful second memoir, Coston shares more rich stories about his animal patients and the clients who make veterinary practice so fulfilling. In this humorous, poignant, and enthralling collection, Costo...

He was just an aged Belgian draft horse, left alone in a pasture to live out the remaining days of his twilight years. He spent his time drooling and swishing flies. But one day the old horse stepped out of a wobbly wire fence, and into a new life. He became useful again, as a horse, when he teamed up with the author, who had always wanted a Belgian draft horse.He immediately began to subtly influence her and other people who crossed his path. The horse weighed one ton and was phys...