Celebrating our 20th classic back in print, the Western Canadian Classics series is designed to keep the best western Canadian history, biography, and other works available in attractive and affordable editions. These popular and bestselling books are selected for their quality, enduring appeal, and importance to an understanding of our past.

From the author of the classic North to Cree Lake, Arthur Karras, Face the North Wind is the compelling true story of cousins Fred Darbyshire and Ed Theriau, who spent almost five decades, from 1924 to 1975, trapping and living off the land in northern Saskatchewan. Working an area roughly defined by Cree, Wollaston, and Reindeer Lakes, Fred and Ed evolved from innocent greenhorns to expert trappers at a time when modern conveniences were unheard of in that part of the country.

Intertwined with the two men's experiences are gripping accounts of the annual Hudson's Bay Company fur brigades along the Churchill River, encounters with wolves, trappers' lore, and exciting tales of memorable fur, game, and fish catches.

Arthur L. Karras was born in Rosthern, SK. Following a seven-year sojourn in the North, described in his popular book North to Cree Lake: The Rugged Lives of the Trappers Who Leave Civilization Behind, he served in the army and then worked as a grain buyer, a town and a school administrator. He loved golfing, fishing, square dancing, poetry, and telling jokes, and maintained his love of the northern woods throughout his life.

A.L. Karras' profile page

Jim Karras' profile page