BC Books From Vancouver Island & the Coast

A rowdy, rollicking popular history that celebrates the tales of Victoria’s drinking establishments in their heyday.

From the raunchy saloons that lined Victoria’s notorious Johnson street to the lavish high-class hotel-bars like the Driard and the Empress, Aqua Vitae is a collection of fascinating true stories from the days of swinging doors, smoky bars, and five-cent beers.

Read about how the quick actions of an employee of the Bee-hive saloon saved a young Emily Carr from possible death. Di …

A biography of the extraordinary Nellie Cashman, a well-loved miner, entrepreneur and philanthropist who lived and worked in the roughest boomtowns of the West in the late-nineteenth century.

At a time when well-bred women wore tight corsets and entertained each other at tea, Nellie Cashman (1845–1925) was trekking for hundreds of miles through blizzard conditions to deliver food and supplies to trapped miners in northern BC.

An Irish immigrant, Cashman travelled from Boston to San Francisco in …

A biography of the extraordinary Nellie Cashman, a well-loved miner, entrepreneur and philanthropist who lived and worked in the roughest boomtowns of the West in the late-nineteenth century.

At a time when well-bred women wore tight corsets and entertained each other at tea, Nellie Cashman (1845–1925) was trekking for hundreds of miles through blizzard conditions to deliver food and supplies to trapped miners in Northern BC.

An Irish immigrant, Cashman travelled from Boston to San Francisco in …

Shortlisted for two 2016 BC Book Prizes
Finalist for the 2016 Lieutenant Governor’s Medal for Historical Writing

A compelling history of the earliest explorers to Vancouver Island, brought to life with illustrations and maps.

In 1842, when explorer James Douglas encountered the rugged natural paradise that would become Vancouver Island, he described it as “a perfect Eden." This book gathers the early recorded histories and personal accounts left by Chinese seafarers, Spanish and British naval …

After Frame and her brother, Ranger, discover Uncle Tam’s body in the river, they wonder if his death was really an accident. Their suspicions are confirmed when they find a knife under a rock. Clues mount up after they discover that their neighbor, Mr. McGuire, is mistreating Uncle Tam’s dog, Sandy.

Set around the world—in Canada, the UK, India, Japan and Jamaica—these fascinating stories by emerging and established writers, such as Evelyn Lau and Governor General's Award winner Paul Yee, will captivate and entertain teens of all ages.

Roxy is a tale of secrets and lies, sex and death. The story unfolds in Greece—an ancient land where myth and fact have coexisted for centuries. Sent there on a mission of mercy to meet her estranged grandfather, Roxy uncovers the truth about her family and must unravel the longtime consequences of a tragic love story. At the same time she has a secret of her own, and she has to deal with her strong feelings for the far-too-good-looking Giorgio. This is a riveting mystery with a tough yet vuln …

It's 1923 and Leroy is on the run from a couple of abusive cousins. He stumbles into a traveling Chautauqua show, where it's easy to get lost in a crowd—but also easy to lose your heart. This funny and endearing novel by Governor General's Award-winning novelist Glen Huser will make an absorbing read for fourteen- and fifteen-year-olds, boys and girls alike.