Author of First Book I Owned at Age 10 is Dead. RIP Farley Mowat

Farley Mowat, well-known Canadian author is dead at age 92. The first book I ever owned  was Farley's The Dog Who Wouldn't Be. I was so excited to own an actual book. I was 10 years old and reading was very much encouraged in our family. 

I read everything I could get my hands on - my mother's Reader's Digests, True Detective Magazine, mother's collection of Frank Yerby books. I know, not the usual fare for a young child but my mother did not believe in censorship. Her theory was that if I read something not meant for a child I probably wouldn't understand it anyway!

But The Dog Who Wouldn't Be was the first book that was mine. I could write my name in it. And I did. I loved the story and read that book so many times it almost fell apart. The next book I was given was "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott and I loved it too. But then came "Never Cry Wolf" by Mowat and I was hooked. I was a confirmed Farley Mowat fan. 

I've found that the majority of genealogists love to read. They love libraries and archives and reading pretty much anything they can find, not just for research purposes. So fellow genealogists, if Farley Mowat's novels are new to you, please do yourself a favour and check out one of his books. They are well worth your time.

RIP Farley.