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    Amongst God’s Own

    The Enduring Legacy of St. Mary’s Mission
    By Terry Glavin & Former Students of St. Mary’s

    “It can be said the author has been successful in setting the polemic aside to enhance society’s understanding of a painful past, and to ensure historical accuracy. . . The reader comes away with a feeling of “so that’s what it was really like …”

    Joan Taillon, Raven’s Eye, July 2002

    “Award-winning B.C. journalist, historian and former Catholic Terry Glavin, author of The Last Great Sea and This Ragged Place, is probably best known for his writing on aboriginals. A worthy addition is this portrait of St. Mary’s Residential School, established near Mission by the Oblate order. The book, based on interviews with former St. Mary’s students, and featuring dozens of vintage photos, was extolled by The Report as “an astounding portrait of overlooked generations of Canadian Indians.”

    David F. Dawes, Canadian Christianity.com

    “At first glance, one might assume this is another negative account of what the priests and nuns did to the Aboriginal students. But this book gives voice to a different perspective . . .  The great thing about this book is that the personal narratives are varied and offer a balance that is rarely shown. Of course, many abuses did occur and that is a large part of why such books are written—to help in the healing process . . .  Recommended for secondary and public libraries.”

    Marilyn Aldworth, District Librarian, SD 44, Reviewed in The Bookmark Summer 2004

    “This is an amazing book. . . . author Terry Glavin is to be commended for the balance, fairness, candour and accuracy of the reports. The book, with its many photographs, is a poignant record of local and Canadian history. Its stories are unforgettable.”

    Matthew St. Pierre, Voices and Visions, The B.C. Catholic

    “Trial lawyers handling residential school abuse cases will find this a balanced and useful book. The author, [a former school student], has drawn on 35 now elders for narrative accounts of their experiences. The book is much enriched by the loan of many historical photographs . . . “

    Ronald F. MacIsaac, MacIsaac & MacIsaac Victoria, BC., Book Reviews The Verdict, March 2003


    Devil’s Run

    by Gordon Mohs


    “I see you have finally come out of the archaeological closet to write ‘true fiction’! Good for you.”

    Dr. Michael Ames,Professor of Anthropology,Past Director, Museum of Anthropology, UBC, Vancouver, BC.

    “I’m not a mystery fan, but I loved this story. I especially enjoyed the place names and the geography of the Fraser River and how things were tied in with the people. The historical accuracy; the relationships of the people and who they represent tells so much about First Nations.”

    Bruce Kiloh, Teacher, Langley, BC

    “… Anthropological writing can be boring. However, his first novel, Devil’s Run, is a page-turning murder mystery starring the eastern Fraser Valley as a backdrop.”

    Jennifer Feinberg, Chilliwack Progress, May 23, 2000

    “It’s wonderful. I really loved it. I enjoyed the story, but it was the history and all the sites that really made the story. . . . and I’m reading it again because I want to see all these place.”

    Lynn Phipps, Social Documentary Photographer, Dewdney, BC.

    “Finally, someone’s written a meaningful book about us.”

    Robert Thomas III, Artist

    “It’s so real.”

    Joanne Hugh, Sto:lo First Nation

    “I’ve read it twice now, and I’m going to read it again. There’s so much, it will never be uninteresting to me. It’s fantastic! I really enjoyed it, especially the description and build-up of the individual characters, and the surprise ending. It was very entertaining and very honest. It was so real. I’m looking forward to reading it again.”

    Betty Ann Pennier, Coast Salish

    “… Today the overlaps are complicated and enigmatic. They are simultaneously temporal and spiritual, the past is a constant of the present, hereditary governments coexist with elected band councils imposed by Ottawa, traditional religious values co-exist with Christianity, the old economies of salmon are integrated with high technology, tribal authorities co-exist with overlays of federal, provincial and local agencies. It is in this fascinating web of political and cultural tensions that an emerging British Columbia writer has set his remarkable first novel . . . . Mohs has spent 30 years working with the Sto:lo as an anthropologist, . . . and now skillfully educates his readers while he spins a fine story.”

    Stephen Hume, Vancouver Sun, Saturday, April 1, 2000

    “… Devil’s Run is anthropology as fiction. . . . Devil’s Run is one of those books that raise awkward and perplexing questions about reality, and it’s a reminder that there are necessary limits on the degree to which conventional non-fiction, in all its forms, can present reality objectively, or at least in a way that sheds light on what the ‘truth’ may be.”
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    Terry Glavin, Georgia Straight, March 3-10, 2000

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