Böcker av Margaret Thompson

Adrift on the Ark is a collection of personal essays by Margaret Thompson that offers a straightforward study of the complex relationship between human beings and the natural world. The essays look at a wide range of beings--from spiders to peacocks--and cover issues such as our irrational phobias, our fascination with zoos, and the myths and stories we have created around the other occupants of this earth. They also observe the joy animals bring to us as our pets and the altruistic relationship between caregivers and companions. With lively anecdotes and engaging portraits of the animals who have enriched Margaret''s life, these entertaining and personal essays serve a double purpose: as a reminder of our place in the natural order and our intricate connections with animals; and as a warning about how much we stand to lose by ignoring our responsibilities for all life on earth. Meant to inspire and motivate, Adrift on the Ark is an enchanting reflection on the beneficial relationship between humans and other animals.

For ages 12+. Thompson offers a powerfully moving and historically accurate account of life in Fort St James, in northern British Columbia, in the 1820s. Through the character of Peter, a young boy who is orphaned at the Fort, Thompson presents a vivid picture of the difficult life for both the fur traders and the Natives in what was then called the 'Siberia' of the fur trade. Lonely and unsure of himself, Peter finds himself an 'eyewitness' to a murder which threatens to destroy the good relations between the Company and the Carrier people. Through his friendship with the nephew of Chief Kwah of the Carrier, Peter comes to understand and sympathise with the Carrier culture, learning much about tolerance, compromise and acceptance, but also about the difficulties that divided loyalties can bring. Thompson also offers an innovative view of the role of women in the fur trade, painting a fascinating picture of the young James Douglas and his wife Amelia in the confrontation with Chief Kwah.