On Mountaintop Rock

Mary St. Onge-Davidson is president of the Essential English Centre in
Ottawa.

This serendipitous tale by John MacLay weaves his childhood experiences
in the Canadian Rockies into a wonderful story about Jenny and Edward
who set out to solve a true mountain mystery.

The story opens in present-day Quebec City. A young man meets an old
schoolteacher and they soon remember that they knew each other many
years before. As the young man reflects back to the time he new
him—the summer of 1954—the story moves to Jasper National Park,
where Jenny and Edward befriend a gruff but endearing man, Fraser
McKillop. McKillop tells them countless tales of the fur trade, and the
children, inspired by these stories and those of Sherlock Holmes, set
out on their adventure-filled quest.

MacLay writes with spirit and humor. Each chapter charms the reader
with descriptions of small-town Jasper and the beauty and magnitude of
the Rockies, working the reader’s imagination at every turn. The book
is filled with historical facts woven into a fine narrative. A beautiful
cover painting and line drawings remind the reader of places and events
in the story. Highly recommended.