Red Goodwin

In this compelling novel, John Wilson tells the story of Will Ryan, sent out from England after his father was killed in WW I, to live with his uncle, a mine manager at Cumberland on Vancouver Island. Through a chance meeting in the forest with the radical union organizer Red Goodwin, young Will has all his ideas turned upside down, especially when he sees first-hand how the miners are treated in the community and at the pit face. He becomes friends with a Chinese boy who introduces him to the racism in Canada, where "Chinks" are seen as expendable. Will is deeply smitten by a beautiful Scottish girl, the daughter of a miner, who is working to help Goodwin and others hiding out in the forest. Soon Will finds himself caught between the demands of his uncle, his loyalty to the memory of his father and the new vision of Goodwin who argues that the European war between Britain and Germany has parallels with the war between the mine owners and the mine workers. In an exciting story, filled with sudden turns and tragic events, young Will discovers that he must make a choice, a choice that will change his life forever.

"Wilson has created an exciting adventure story about one of Canada's true folk heroes---Ginger Goodwin---and something much rarer: an adventure in ideas."---Ann Walsh