If you'd rather place an order by talking to one of our cheerful order desk clerks, please call 1-888-232-4444 (USA and Canada only) or 250-383-6864. From Europe, ring our UK order desk clerk at local rate number 0845 230 9601 (UK only) or 44 (0)1865 722 113.

White Raven

by Deborah Cannon

252 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); black and white text; catalogue #06-1383; ISBN 1-4120-9627-8; US$18.77, C$21.59, EUR15.42, £10.80

Set against breathtaking Pacific scenery, White Raven, the sequel to The Raven's Pool, brims with adventure, archaeology, ancient myths, and a bitter feud between environmentalists and loggers.

About the Book

Archaeologist, Jake Lalonde, visits Skidegate to search for his mother. All she left him is a picture of a totem pole that upsets everyone who sees it. The Queen Charlotte Haida are embroiled in a logging dispute. Dead animals are turning up everywhere, rekindling belief in the mythical Seawolf. And an Elder, Jimmy Sky, decides they must kill a seal to put an end to the talk.

When Jake learns that his mother is dead, he goes searching for his father and the answers to a recurring dream. He risks all to discover the truth - even his love for Angeline.

Set against breathtaking Pacific Coast scenery, White Raven, the sequel to The Raven's Pool, brims with adventure, ancient myths, and a bitter dispute between environmentalists and loggers. A fast-paced novel, alive with colour, romance and suspense, it continues the saga of Jake Lalonde's search for his Haida heritage.

About the Author

Deborah Cannon is a graduate of the Humber School for Writer's. Her love of the Pacific landscape and her experience as an archaeologist inspired her first novel The Raven's Pool. Her short fiction Petroglyphs and Devilfish are available from Fictionwise.com. One of her short stories The Necropolis appears in Tales from the Manchester Arms, a CAA Toronto anthology. Her latest short story Gone Tomorrow is part of a collection of short works called Stumbling through Darkness, by Wingate Press. She is published by SFU Archaeology Press, The Canadian Journal of Archaeology, and her articles on writing appear in the Canadian Writer's Guide 13th ed. and Absolutewrite.com. Her most recent novel White Raven is the sequel to The Raven's Pool.

Reviews

When myth comes to life, no one is safe; the monster ravages. In Deborah Cannon's novel, "White Raven," the past comes back to haunt in more ways than one.... This wonderful mix of mythology, tradition, mystery and even romance is a delightful read. Deborah Cannon depicts the legend of the Seawolf, as well as her character's relationships, with the flair of a true storyteller. Her descriptive writing puts you right there in the elements of the islands on the Pacific Coast, on the water, with a gigantic sea elephant snorting mist into your face. This fast paced book is one you will not want to put down, but is also one that you will hate to see the end of.

- Heather Froeschl, BookReview.com (Madison, WI)

A culturally aware . . . complex mix of environmental intrigue, indigenous politics and family drama.   Doctor Jake Lalonde, a brilliant young archaeologist and leading expert on the indigenous culture of the Canadian Pacific Coast, returns to his childhood home on British Columbia's Queen Charlotte Islands . . . The island chain is the home of the Haida, a centuries-old tribe. Jake is, it turns out, half Haida. (The novel's many sections of Haida dialect . . . lend an air of cultural authenticity. . .) Accompanying Jake is his long-time girlfriend Angeline, a junior archaeologist looking for a big breakthrough in her own career. The couple arrive on the Canadian coast at a time when a confusing mélange of conflicting political, financial and cultural interests have disrupted the Haida settlement. Wealthy logging companies, on which many Haida depend for employment, have made efforts to begin cutting on protected land, a move that threatens to decimate acres of forest sacred to the tribe. In addition, many dead animals—slaughtered in unnatural fashion—have begun popping up around the area, and some of the natives have begun to blame the Wasgo, a fearful sea beast of Haida lore. As time passes—and as Jake and Angeline are further implicated in the tribe's political and supernatural problems—it becomes increasingly obvious that Jake's reasons for returning to his Haida homeland are more personal than professional. . . he hopes to uncover the identity of the parents who abandoned him in his infancy. . . his search becomes an unhealthy obsession that threatens both his romantic and professional lives.
The author's willingness to tackle such a complex array of topics is admirable. . .

- Kirkus Discoveries review, VNU US Literary Group (New York, NY)

Deborah Cannon has written a multi-layered story, in which, like real life, there are no easy answers. The time-honored ways of the Haida Indians of the Northwest Coast are pitted against modernization, and ecologists confront the economic realities of logging. Even the love story is resolved in a surprising way that shows that true love trumps self-interest. All of this is played out with stay-up-to-midnight-reading tension as the author takes her characters on a storm-tossed seal hunt rendered with cinematic intensity.

- Carolyn Niethammer author of Daughters of the Earth and Keeping the Rope Straight (Tucson AZ)

The search for his biological parents has brought Jake Lalonde to this small native community. Unfortunately, information isn't easily extracted from the tight-knit Haida, who have much more pressing issue with unrelenting loggers and the prospect of an ancient evil having resurfaced.

With much perseverance, Jake discovers his roots, but is more angry and disappointed than expected. His brooding puts his relationship with Angeline at risk, and prevents him from noticing the building conflict around him. The leader of the loggers, MacPherson, wants the trees and the profit they produce, and is not above threats and violence to achieve it. A native elder, Jimmy Sky, seeks to put an end to the mysterious hunter that is brutally killing creatures, and at the same time protect his relatives from the abusive logger.

Deborah Cannon demonstrates ample writing talent in this surprisingly exciting novel. Endearing characters and a picturesque landscape add greatly to the appeal. The first half of the novel develops the twisting of the characters lives, and leads up to the fast-paced, exhilarating ending. While I haven't yet had the pleasure myself, I believe reading the first book in this series, The Raven's Pool, would probably enhance the transition into this one, but nonetheless, White Raven stands well alone. The fast-paced, heart-stopping ending is exceptionally good, and shouldn't be missed.

Deborah Cannon has already produced many successful works, often inspired by her experiences as an archeologist. She is currently working on another novel in this series.

Strongly recommended for those with a love of nature and native culture, or anyone looking for a thrilling ending!
- Nancy Morris, Allbooks Reviews

Excerpts