The North Runner is a true and moving story of the building of trust between a man and an exceptional dog that was half wolf, half Alaskan Malamute, and the resulting mutual affection and respect between them.

R.D. Lawrence, the son of an English father and a Spanish mother, was born at sea, aboard a British passenger ship sailing in Spanish territorial waters. His early years in Spain and his Spanish Civil War and World War II experiences are well-documented in his autobiography, The Green Trees Beyond.

R.D. Lawrence's profile page

Paddler, author, environmentalist and raconteur, Max Finkelstein works as the Communications Officer for the Canadian Heritage Rivers System, Canadaís national program for river conservation. When he is not speaking about, writing about, or otherwise promoting Canadaís river heritage, Max can usually be found paddling on a river. He has paddled over 22,000 kilometres in North America, Europe, Africa and Australia. His first book, Canoeing a Continent: On the Trail of Alexander Mackenzie, which described his experiences retracing the historic first crossing of North America by a European, was released by Natural Heritage in 2002. Paddling the Boreal Forest: Rediscovering A.P. Low, an extraordinary project undertaken with his friend and paddling partner James Stone, sent the two of them to northern Quebec to retrace and experience first-hand the routes of geologist, map-maker and explorer A.P. Low.

Max and his wife, Connie Downes, live in Ottawa, where they are introducing their son, Isaac Thelon, to a life of travelling on and learning about rivers.

Max Finkelstein's profile page

"A remarkable story about the bond between a man and his dog ... Lawrence combines adventure with a keen appreciation of the natural beauty of the land."