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8 Books for the Armchair Traveller

If you are back in the grind of a 9-5 work day or a full day of classes this September, these Alberta-published books will help you travel beyond your office or classroom. Discover film sets across the province, delve into the world of international aid, learn about lesser-known cities and communities across Alberta, and more!  

Visit your local independent bookstore to pick up a copy of these titles, or borrow them from your local library with ReadAlbertaeBooks.ca. 

FIFTY PERCENT OF MOUNTAINEERING IS UPHILL
By Susanna Pfisterer

Fifty Percent of Mountaineering Is Uphill is the enthralling true story of Jasper’s Willi Pfisterer, a legend in the field of mountaineering and safety in the Rocky Mountains. His daughter, Susanna Pfisterer, has shaped his stories and lectures as an engaging and educational adventure story that features over 100 archival photographs to help immerse you in the narrative.

Fifty Percent of Mountaineering is Uphill: The Life of Canadian Mountain Rescue Pioneer Willi Pfisterer

Susanna Pfisterer (CA)

Published: May 15, 2016 by NeWest Press
ISBN: 9781926455600

ON FOOT TO CANTERBURY
By Ken Haigh

Shortlisted for the 2021 Hilary Weston Writers’ Trust Prize, On Foot to Canterbury is a recollection of Ken Haigh’s hike across southern England, retracing one of the traditional routes that medieval pilgrims followed to the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral. The resulting book is part travelogue, part memoir, and part literary history.

On Foot to Canterbury: A Son’s Pilgrimage

Ken Haigh (CA)

Published: Sep 16, 2021 by University of Alberta Press
ISBN: 9781772125450

A STUNNING BACKDROP
By Mary Graham

Discover the unconventional, untold story of Alberta’s film history from the comfort of home with A Stunning Backdrop: Alberta in the Movies, 1917-1960. Based on twelve years of exhaustive research and featuring photographs from film sets and productions across the province, this upcoming release reveals the deep importance of Alberta to Hollywood. 

A Stunning Backdrop: Alberta in the Movies, 1917-1960

Mary Graham (CA)

Published: Oct 31, 2022 by University of Calgary Press
ISBN: 9781773853932

WEIRD EDMONTON
By Mark Kozub

Learn more about Alberta’s capital with Weird Edmonton by Mark Kozub. This book reveals some of the lesser known facts about the city, like that it is home to a host of ghosts, a cowboy boot that stands over 12 metres tall, the bush pilot who fought the Red Baron in his last dogfight in World War I, and much more!

Weird Edmonton

Mark Kozub (CA)

Published: Mar 01, 2014 by Blue Bike Books
ISBN: 9781926700434

LETTERS TO SINGAPORE
By Kelly Kaur

Travel back and forth between Singapore and Calgary, between coming of age and adulthood in the fictionalized memoir Letters to Singapore. Letters exchanged between friends and family reveal that no matter which path women take, traditional or independent, life is fraught with conflict, hilarity, and peril.

Letters to Singapore

Kelly Kaur (CA)

Published: May 01, 2022 by Stonehouse Publishing
ISBN: 9781988754390

OLYA & OLENA ESCAPE THE INVADERS
By Olya Illichov and Maddy Shyba, Illustrated by Diana Bezukh

Olya and Olena Escape the Invaders is about two young Ukrainian ballet students who escape the Russian invasion and begin a frightful journey to find safety. Gain a better understanding of the war in Ukraine and the experiences refugees face as you travel with Olya and Olena through the city and forest as they escape.

Olya & Olena Escape the Invaders

Olya Illichov, Maddy Shyba (CA)

Published: Aug 01, 2022 by Durvile Publications
ISBN: 9781990735141

ALBERTA PLACE NAMES
By Larry Donovan

A compendium of knowledge, Alberta Place Names covers some 1300 plus place names in the province of Alberta. Travel to hamlets, villages, towns and cities across the province and learn about the origins of their names, famous inhabitants, and interesting tidbits— all from your living room! 

Alberta Place Names: The Fascinating People & Stories behind the Naming of Alberta

Larry Donovan (CA), Tom Monto

Published: Jan 24, 2007 by Dragon Hill Publishing
ISBN: 9781896124117

ALL OF US IN OUR OWN LIVES
By Ava Berriden

Delve deeply into the lives of women and men in Nepal and the world of international aid with All of Us in Our Own Lives, a beautiful story of strangers who shape each other’s lives in fateful ways.

All of Us in Our Own Lives

Manjushree Thapa (CA)

Published: Sep 10, 2018 by Freehand Books
ISBN: 9781988298344