Yesterday's general store was today's Costco, Home Depot and Superstore rolled into one — and then some. General stores sold a little of everything through the years: groceries, hardware, dry goods, caskets, corsets, spinning wheels, furniture, appliances, feeds, seeds, kerosene, gasoline, medicinal lotions and potions for man or beast, and of course candy, ice cream and pop. "General stores usually had the look of an overstuffed warehouse, and if you wanted something, they had it buried somewhere ..... you just had to ask." Not only was the general store a one-stop shop, it was a place to meet and greet, gossip, solve world problems and tell tales, tall and true, a pillar of rural community life until done in by the automobile, mail order catalogues, big box stores and shopping malls.

Ghost Islands of Nova Scotia, Mike's fourteenth book, completes a trilogy, joining his two most recent best-sellers - Gold Rush Ghost Towns of Nova Scotia and Buried in the Woods: Sawmill Ghost Towns of Nova Scotia (see page 9). Mike has been researching, writing and talking about his native province for more than 25 years, during which time he has earned many accolades including being known as Nova Scotia's storyteller. In addition to offering heritage programs and services through Old Days, Old Ways, Mike is a research associate affiliated with the Gorsebrook Research Institute For Atlantic Canada Studies at Saint Mary's University in Halifax.

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