Difficult Passage

Life on the Canadian prairies in the 1930s and 40s had its own special challenges. The Great Depression had driven Fred Stone from early retirement back to the farm with his young wife and two sons: Fred Jr. and Stan. They had no money. Vicious winds, blistering summers, and frigid winters, and dust storms ravaged the prairies. Crops failed. Then came an unpredictable change in circumstances. Things got immeasurably worse! N.J. Lindquist says in the foreword: They say everyone has a story to tell. Maybe so, but few can tell their story as well as Ray Wiseman. A Difficult Passage takes a fascinating look at life through the eyes of a child. The book quickly drew me in, with three things in particular catching my interest. The first is Ray's phenomenal memory of his childhood, which allows him to give us a vivid glimpse of life on the prairies during the depression. The second is the great difference between the boy who was and man who is--the one so vulnerable and sensitive, the other so confident and at peace. The third is the knowledge that the one became the other not so much in spite of the difficulties of his youth, but because of them. A Difficult Passage tells an engaging story of real life, with all its stings and scars, but with humour and liveliness as well, offering hope to all who face struggles. From the Introduction: This story has its genesis in the great migration of people who poured into Canada's western provinces in the early years of the 20th century. They came from England, Scotland, Germany, Scandinavia, Ukraine, and a dozen other places including many States of the Union. Although the primary account begins with the crystal-clear memories of a two-year-old arriving at the village of Gawain in April of 1936, flashbacks will transport you to earlier times. War in South Africa and Europe, followed by resettlement in a land of promise, shaped the parents who in turn influenced the life of the child - a child who would face a harsh prairie life with its own special terrors and temptations. We have changed the name of the town and most of the people to protect the innocent - and those who merely think themselves innocent. The Stanley Stone you meet in Chapter 1, is, of course, Ray Wiseman. Now you know that, you can try to identify the others.