Ride the Rising Wind: One Woman's Journey Across Canada

Spring 2006

Paperback 256 pages
Non-Fiction

"This is an incredibly enveloping story of not just the actual distance covered on horseback, but the relationship between man and animal, man and nature, and man and man. And then there are the extraordinary revelations that Kingscote discovers along the way. Often the hardships of such a journey are what people end up talking about, but in this case, it should be how the story is written. You do not have to love horses, travels, or Western Canada to love this book. You just have to love great writing and a fascinating story." Canadian Literature   Click here for the full review. 

In May 1949, at the age of twenty, Barbara Kingscote left her farm in Mascouche, Quebec, and set out for the Pacific Ocean on horseback. Barbara and her equine companion Zazy reached the West Coast just over a year later, after travelling 4,000 miles and discovering the heart of this great country.

A touching coming of age tale,  Ride the Rising Wind invites us all to travel along with Barbara and Zazy as they struggle through the harsh wilderness and still-developing urban centres of the Canadian landscape in the mid twentieth century. With only $100, a map, and a handful of supplies, the intrepid duo made their trek across the country counting on luck, determination, and the generosity of strangers to see them through.

From the vast shores of the Great Lakes, to the stark beauty of the plains, to the towering heights of the Rockies, Ride the Rising Wind  reveals Canada through the fresh eyes of a brave young woman discovering both herself and her country on the journey of a lifetime.