An adventure that turns dangerous leads to the redemption of a young villain in Amanda Spottiswoode’s The Silver Lining, a children’s historical novel set in 1938.
Spottiswoode and her illustrator, Vernon native Molly March, will be at the Greater Vernon Museum & Archives April 29 to sign copies of the book, which is suitable for ages nine to 12.
“The Silver Lining picks readers up at page one and drops us into a different time. With a gang of English children as our guides, we meet real cowboys and join a cattle drive through the dusty rolling hills of B.C.’s Interior,” said Dayle Campbell Gaetz, author of Taking the Reins.
The adventure takes readers to Douglas Lake Ranch, Fintry and O’Keefe Ranch, all locales that many will recognize and quite possibly have visited themselves, said Denise Marsh, marketing and communications coordinator for the museum, who read the book with her son, Jace.
“We both enjoyed the book cover to cover,” said Marsh, adding that Jace enjoyed reading about the Fintry Manor House, a place he has toured. “Amanda spent time researching the ranching history of the Okanagan in our very own archives with the assistance of archivist Barbara Bell, and she was thrilled when she came across Captain James Dun-Waters, aka The Laird of Fintry, and made him a character in her book.”
The Silver Lining presentation and book signing takes place April 29 from 10 to 11 a.m. and is by donation, but pre-registration is required as space is limited. Please call the museum at 250-542-3142 to reserve your spot. Juice and cookies will be provided. Copies of the book and Spottiswoode’s previous works will be available for purchase during the event.
This event is also a part of Unplug & Play Week, a project of the North Okanagan Optimist Club, encouraging families to unplug and play in their community.