Join bestselling author Chris Czajkowski and her gregarious and lovable pack dog Harry for a slide show based on her new book, Harry: A Wilderness Dog Saga, which provides a fascinating depiction of living in the wilderness from a dog’s eye view.
Czajkowski’s presentation, which will be followed by a book signing, is taking place at the Courtenay Branch of the Vancouver Island Regional Library on Oct. 4 at 6:30 p.m.
Featuring photos, illustrations and stories about their other canine companions, the slide presentation portrays their off-the-grid life and how Czajkowski established an ecotourism business, built cabins by hand and scratched out a living for herself and the pack.
Harry: A Wilderness Dog Saga, which is written entirely from Harry’s perspective, is an adventure story that combines Harry’s own observations about his years with Czajkowski with reminiscences from his other canine companions (wise Badger, beautiful Ginger and his literary predecessor Lonesome).
He describes how, living in the remote wilderness, the dogs have a rich life, although one not without its difficulties. Often residing in areas accessible only by float plane, they have encountered grizzlies and cougars, slept in the snow, hiked with packs of food and equipment, and gotten into some perilous scrapes. Harry relates these stories with good humour and many quizzical observations about human behaviour.
Czajkowski lives in a small community in B.C.’s Interior and has written eleven books about her nearly thirty years of wilderness living, including Snowshoes and Spotted Dick: Letters from a Wilderness Dweller, Wildfire in the Wilderness, Ginty’s Ghost: A Wilderness Dweller’s Dream (all Harbour Publishing) and Lonesome: Memoirs of a Wilderness Dog (TouchWood Editions).
This event was made possible with the support of the Vancouver Island Regional Library and the Canada Council for the Arts. The Courtenay Library is located at 300 Sixth Street; for more information about the slide show, phone 250-334-3369 or email Courtenay@virl.bc.ca.