Tales from a Snowbank

by John Horner

In Tales from a Snowbank, you will read about the challenges of surviving in a sub-arctic community, such as walking home from school with the fear of turning a corner and coming face-to-face with a big white bear. This is an autobiographical collection documenting the author's growth to adulthood in a small but significant Canadian Churchill, Manitoba. The work details his unique life and times, with humour and tenderness, and examines how the community and the author's life experiences were instrumental in shaping him. The book provides a wonderful glimpse back in time, as each chapter touches on different adventures in different decades, from illicit pool hall escapades in the 1950s, to meeting a pretty nurse in the 1960s. The book closes with the author's return to Churchill with his new wife to visit his parents during the Christmas of 1970.

This work shows readers a part of the world and a way of life very few have experienced, describing elements of the North, such as the polar bears, belugas, and seals; living in isolation and loneliness; the beauty of Hudson Bay, and the northern lights; and the warmth of community.

The book will appeal to readers around the world who appreciate nostalgia, history, or biographies, as well as those interested in understanding what the North has to offer, and the deep historical ties Churchill has with the rest of Canada.

192 pages, Hardcover

Published January 17, 2022

Reviews

[Marie Barr · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up
Great memoir into life I Churchill Manitoba in the 1950’s. Gave me a taste of what that would have been like. I felt like I was transported to a place I have never been yet, but will visit one day. Great book by a Manitoba author.

[Gloria J · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book that could definitely be a memorable roller coaster ride back in time for anyone who had grown up/ lived during the ‘50’s and 60’s in this semi-isolated northern town of Churchill, Manitoba. It is packed with vivid imagery, humorous metaphors, and a chuckle around every corner. Impressively written, it can rekindle one’s appreciation and love for the North. A page turner and a very enjoyable read!

[K Lang · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved wrapping up my day curling up with this book and escaping to the town of Churchill and the author's memories of the past. The author's love of history and the place where he grew up pours off the pages and pulls you in. His great sense of humour had me laughing as well. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone with an interest in Churchill and the northern lifestyle, as well as anyone who just wants to escape their reality and travel to a unique part of Canada.