Picture yourself at a hedonistic family reunion of nineteen lovable descendants of Leonidas and Pearl Tredgold, gathered together at their ancestral summer home for a three-day jubilation.

Grandpa Leo came to Canada from the Shepley orphanage in Bournemouth in 1889. He was eleven years old. If he were still alive, he´d be 131. He spent his lonely adolescent years on the Toronto waterfront, then went west by train to Port Arthur in 1899. A year later he married Pearl Nettleship, a young unwed mother, and after having his arm broken by a runaway horse became a successful haberdasher and lamp maker. The following year Pearl bore him a son, William, my future grandfather. And the year after that, twin baby girls, Imogen and Idabel, who sadly did not survive infancy.

So come rub shoulders with Grandpa William´s three dutiful daughters, Ruth, Marge and Rosemary, plus their unsavory husbands, adult children and sons-in-law. Come join the muckraking fun. Help dig up the past. Sample Uncle Lester´s potent rum punch. He calls it "truth serum." Laugh or be shocked, as nostalgia turns into reproach, innocence into guilt, anecdote into accusation. And when it´s all over, try picking up the pieces. It won´t be easy, but that´s what loving families do.

About the Author

I confess to being somewhat in awe of my larger-than-life ancestors, those mythical denizens of Silver Islet, on the rocky shore of Lake Superior. Some of them I remember, some I know only by reputation. Since childhood, I´ve lacked the courage to confront them. I must say, however, that lately, as I´ve delved below the surface and exposed their foibles, I´ve discovered that they're not nearly as intimidating as I once feared. In fact, despite their scowls, they´re funny, friendly, and, for the most part, all too human. Three cheers for nostalgia.

Since graduating from the University of Manitoba, and a year in Paris studying at the Sorbonne, Bill has been a forester, arctic weatherman, immigration officer, and school teacher. He lives in Thunder Bay, selling his books and scenic photography at Fireweed Crafts Inc. His short fiction has appeared in "Geist Magazine" and "Prairie Fire." Recent books include: Oscar (2011), Brandy and Summer Wine (2011), Lamplight (2010), Sirens (2009), The Quarry (2008), Shadows at Sunset (2007), Ruby´s Last Ride and other stories (2007),Close the Door Softly and other stories (2007), Ruby´s Last Ride and other stories (2007), A House in the Country (2007), Through a Dark Cloud Shining (2006), Catwalk: a feline odyssey (2006), Barnabus Snug Harbour (2006), Soothsayer (2006), The Holly Tree (2005), Stinging Nettles (2005), Christmas Eve at Silver Islet (2004), Vive Zigoto (2004), Daughters of the Sun / Filles du soleil (2003), Hyenas in the Streets (2003), Goodbye Picadilly (2002), Patagonian Odyssey! (2001), Home Before Dark (2001), and The Great Millennium Mount Everest Cat Expedition (2000).