Description: The novel follows the long life of a pioneer woman in 19th century Ontario, Canada. Lily bears witness to the coming of the railroads, the discovery of oil, the founding of a country and a village, all of which impact her life and make her struggle for survival fraught heroic.
Brief description: Don Gutteridge was born in Sarnia, Ontario Canada and raised in the nearby village of Point Edward. He graduated from Western University in Honours English and taught high school for seven years before joining Western's Faculty of Education. He taught English Methods there for twenty-five years, retiring as Professor Emeritus. He is the author of seventy books: poetry, fiction and scholarly works in educational theory and practice. His poetry collection "Coppermine" was short-listed for the 1973 Governor General's Award. He won the UWO President's medal in 1970 for the best periodical poem of that year. He lives in London, Ontario.