Local Book List

Non-Fiction

Halifax: Warden of the North- Thomas H Raddall, 1971- One of the more accessible and sweeping of the histories written about our city written with the passionate detail of Raddall's enthusiastic hand. A recommended book, particularly if you are taking your first dive into the regions history.

Fiction

His Majesty's Yankees- Thomas H Raddall, 1942- This book is a romp through Nova Scotia during the American Revolution. It examines, through the eyes of the fictional Strangs, the often forgotten struggles in the 14th colony, in particular detail the Cumberland Revolt.

The Nymph and the Lamp- Thomas H Raddal, 1950- A tale of star-crossed lovers set in the aftermath of Great War. The unlikely lovers, Matthew Carney, a telegraph operator on Sable Island (here called Marina) and a Isabel Jardine, a school teacher from the Annapolis Valley find themselves out of pace with the brave new world of the post war tides, adrift and clinging to each other. The story heavily revolves around these two and their strained relationship bit also divulges a great deal of information about the lives of Nova Scotians after the upheaval of the war and of the way of life on Sable Island.

Tidefall- Thomas H Raddall, 1953- A tragic story of self destruction, rum running and depression era Nova Scotia. The story revolves around the ever crafty Sax Nolan and his attempt to revive the failing Caraday shipping company in small town Port Barron in order to elevate his status.

Biography

Helen Creighton: Canada's First Lady of Folklore- Clary Croft, 1999- Written by Helen's protege, Clary Croft, this book is an in-depth and personal look at the often controversial life of one of the regions most famous and influential figures, a woman who helped carve out the international image of Nova Scotia today.

Genealogy

History of Dartmouth District Families and Halifax Harbour, Volumes 1-5- Douglas William Trider- One of my go-to series when working on house histories in Dartmouth. This series contains an almost overwhelming amount of information on the happens on the harbour and in Dartmouth, as well as details about nearly all of the real estate and major business transactions for the area. The series covers from 1749 right up until 1900 and is organized by year. There is no index so information can be hard to find if you don't know what you are searching for, but if you take the time it is remarkable what details can be gleaned.

The Bisset Family of Nova Scotia- Thomas Giammo, 2011-  An expansive genealogy of the Bisset family of Dartmouth. Includes historical context as well as details about many other families in the region as it is a history of a family that arrived 1752 and has been quite prolific.

Folklore

A Folktale Journey Through the Maritimes- Helen Creighton- A collection of folktales from Helen's journey's around the province. A charming little collection with entries from every region of the province. A good introduction to local folktales. It includes one of my favorites, and Acadian version of Cinderella.

Songs and Ballads from Nova Scotia- Helen Creighton, 1932- Helen's first publication. A wonderful collection of ballads from around the province. It includes contextual notes where she could make them, as well as notes on variations. Contains several child ballads and many more Nova Scotian born songs. Also includes musical notation for each song.

Bluenose Magic- Helen Creighton, 1978- A collection of snippets of folk belief collected by Helen. Little in the way of contextual notes, but can give a broad overview of mid century belief and superstition, as well as individual examples of folk magic and ritual. A terrible read, but very informative.