Raisin Wine A Boyhood in a Different Muskoka

This is a warm, at times hilarious, yet dark childhood memoir from bestselling author James Bartleman, recalling his boyhood years in the Muskoka village of Port Carling, where he lived in a dilapidated house with an outdoor toilet and coal oil-lamp lighting. Bartleman, a 'half-breed kid,' explores the experience of being caught between two worlds: his Native mother's reserve and the small, white, working-class village. His mother's struggles with depression are noted, stemming from this dilemma. His father, a lovable, happy-go-lucky Scottish day-labourer and the book's main character, never had money but made the best home brew in the village, specializing in raisin wine. The book is described as one that, like raisin wine, 'goes down easily and has a kick to it,' offering flashes of insight that recall the Canadian classic 'Who has Seen the Wind' by W.O. Mitchell.

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