In this frank and moving memoir, the author recalls growing up in a poor and alcohol-ridden neighborhood of a small city before and during World War II. Following his experiences after the war, the narrative relates the shattering of his mother’s dreams and his own inability to bridge the gulf between himself and his alcoholic father, casting a dark shadow over his childhood. The account reveals how the protagonist never permitted his rocky beginnings to affect his hope for the future, portraying his survival in a bleak environment and of the early road traveled in becoming a man of honor, reputation, and respect as a judge of the Superior Court of Ontario. Also featuring a diverse selection of the author’s poetry, this anthology reflects not only the author’s experiences on the bench but the empathy and compassion for the underdog that he learned while growing up on Simcoe Street.

James Clarke is a justice of the Ontario Court of Justice–General Division and the author of seven books of poetry, including Flying Home Through the Dark, Forced Passage, and How to Bribe a Judge. He is the author of the memoir A Mourner’s Kaddish: Suicide and the Rediscovery of Hope.

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The Honourable Roy McMurtry, O.C., O.Ont., Q.C., practiced as a litigator in both the civil and criminal courts before being elected to the Ontario legislature in 1975. He served as the province’s Attorney General for a decade before becoming the Canadian High Commissioner in the United Kingdom. He later served as the chief justice of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice and then as chief justice of Ontario from 1996 to 2007.

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