In The Rapids

9-12 yrs.

The Rapids is an exploration of manic depression (also known as bipolar disorder). With reflections on artists such as Carrie Fisher, Kanye West, Saul Bellow, Paul Thomas Anderson, and Spalding Gray, Sam Twyford-Moore takes readers on a literary and cultural tour of mania and what it means to live with a diagnosis of "bipolarity" in contemporary society. He also looks at the condition in our digital world, where someone’s manic episode can unfold live in real time, watched by millions. His own story, told unflinchingly, is shocking and sometimes darkly comic. It gives the book an edge that is not always comfortable but full of insight and empathy. Smart, lively, and well-researched, The Rapids manages to be both a wild ride and introspective at once, exploring a condition that touches thousands of people, directly or indirectly.

"The ancestors, living at the time of European contact had a way with words. Poetry spilled effortlessly from their lips because the spirit of the land guided their words. I take seriously my belief that medicine of extraordinary healing power is found in the verses of a poet who puts words together for the purpose of bringing peace and serenity to people in want of it. The counsels and poetry of a person living with pain are special and more meaningful to an individual in the throes of heartache."--

Alison is always up for a good adventure. Yet when she sees the pounding rapids and meets the other rafters, she's not sure she wants to be a Junior river Guide after all. 8 color illustrations.

This illustrated history, rich in detail, provides an account of the impact of the Anglican Church on the nineteenth century Red River parish of St. Andrew's, as well as an examination of the origins and development of the Metis community settled near the forks of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers. Robert Coutts focuses his historical eye upon the character of the Church's evangelical approach within the settlement, its attitudes towards the indigenous peoples there, and the relationship between the Church Missionary Society and the Hudson's Bay Company. Within these broader themes, The Road to the Rapids also traces the development of St. Andrew's from frontier mission to rural Anglican outpost, as well as the changing nature of economic and social life within the parish as the century progressed. Accessible and well-researched, this book contributes a fresh interpretation of a historically important subject.