About BC Books Online
BC Books Online was created for anyone interested in BC-published books, and with librarians especially in mind. We'd like to make it easy for library staff to learn about books from BC publishers - both new releases and backlist titles - so you can inform your patrons and keep your collections up to date.
Our site features print books and ebooks - both new releases and backlist titles - all of which are available to order through regular trade channels. Browse our subject categories to find books of interest or create and export lists by category to cross-reference with your library's current collection.
A quick tip: When reviewing the "Browse by Category" listings, please note that these are based on standardized BISAC Subject Codes supplied by the books' publishers. You will find additional selections, grouped by theme or region, in our "BC Reading Lists."
Description
Winner of a 2016 Independent Publisher Book Award
Born a slave on a rice plantation in South Carolina, John Ware (1845–1905) became one of the most successful independent ranchers in southern Alberta through the sheer force of his will and through his incredible skill at the cowboy trade.
This fascinating historical novel details his adventures, as well as his trials and tribulations, on the long road that took him from South Carolina to Texas to Montana and finally north to Canada. High Rider is the compelling story of a truly great, yet unsung, Canadian hero.
Awards
- Winner, IPPY Award for Best Regional Fiction
Editorial Reviews
Bill Gallaher chats with Donna McElligott of CBC's Alberta At Noon about his book and which aspects of John Ware's character were historical versus fictitional.
Canadian History Books for Schools recommends High Rider for English Language Arts, Social Justice, and Social Studies students in grades 10-12.
"Gallaher’s novel is easily compared to Joe R. Lansdale’s wonderful Paradise Sky (2015), though Ware is a far gentler character than Nat Love, and Gallaher avoids turning him into a myth. He draws much of his material from a 1960 biography, John Ware’s Cow Country, by Grant MacEwan, and his fictional departures are never flamboyant or satirical, but, rather, restrained." —Booklist, starred review
"This story is historical writing at its best, with details of everyday life in the West, the heartfelt troubles John faced throughout his travels, and interactions that provide depth and life to every character. If you want to comprehend the pain that former slaves endured after the Civil War, become enlightened with this book." —Historical Novels Review
