Books published by publisher Quarrier Press

BICENTENNIAL To celebrate the bicentennial of the birth of Sir John A. Macdonald, Quarry Press is publishing five related titles that together give us a special perspective on the life and times of Canada’s first prime minister, who still is the nation’s most colorful citizen. These titles include a picture book of his little-known boyhood adventures, a profile of the man as a politician, two historical novels where Sir John A. makes a brief but auspicious appearance, and a cookbook that takes us “downstairs” in the Macdonald household to see what the Prime Minister and his guests ate on special occasions “upstairs.” BOYHOOD BIOGRAPHYOur Rascal JohnThe Childhood Adventures of Sir John A. MacdonaldCanada’s First Prime MinisterMary Alice DownieIllustrations by James CockburnSir John A. Macdonald lived a storied life. A complicated character even as a child, he fascinates us still. He was born in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1815 and immigrated to Upper Canada in 1820 where his father looked for a more prosperous occupation. After a harrowing ocean passage, the family first settled in Kingston but soon went looking for greener pastures at the Hay Bay settlement. The young John Alexander was schooled in Kingston and Adolphustown. As a young man, he became known for his charm and his love of a joke, often at his own expense. Cartoonists have portrayed him as a mischievous schoolboy.Not all was sweetness and light. His father was a less than successful businessman and his brother died because of a caregiver’s negligence. “I had no boyhood,” he once told a friend. “From the age of 15 I began to earn my own living.” John supported his mother and sisters, Louise and Margaret (Moll). Years later, Sir John A. wrote, “Moll was my oldest and sincerest friend and has been so through life.”’ She is the narrator of these episodes from her brother’s childhood. Although some of the early dialogue is invented, much is taken from accounts of his life by friends and relations, as are all the anecdotes. A teacher’s guide is available under separate cover.