George Frederick Clarke (1883-1974) was a man of the St. John River Valley and a true romantic. From the age of 8 he was determined to become a writer, and a writer he became, against great odds. Clarke is best known for his classic salmon fishing memoirs and for his book on archaeology and First Nation People. But he also published novels, histories, poetry, children's books, and dozens of short stories.

He created a body of work full of adventure and romance. But the story of his life is as extraordinary as anything he wrote, full of contradictions: a romantic idealist who was...

George Frederick Clarke (1883-1974) was a man of the St. John River Valley and a true romantic. From the age of 8 he was determined to become a writer, and a writer he became, against great odds. Clarke is best known for his classic salmon fishing memoirs and for his book on archaeology and First Nation People. But he also published novels, histories, poetry, children's books, and dozens of short stories.

He created a body of work full of adventure and romance. But the story of his life is as extraordinary as anything he wrote, full of contradictions: a romantic idealist who was...

George Frederick Clarke was a born storyteller. He was once New Brunswick's best-known writer. His short stories contain some of his best writing, but they have been unavailable since they were published in magazines between 1908 and 1938.

The Ghost of Nackawick Portage brings Clarke's stories together for the first time along with the original illustrations. The evocative illustrations alone make this an unusual book; combined with the stories, it has the makings of a Canadian classic.

Clarke had an instinctive command of narrative flow and an ear for vernacular...