Canadian Books
Canadian Books
Dying For a Drink: How a Prohibition Preacher Got Away with Murder
Regular price $19.95AS SEEN ON TV ONTARIO’S THE AGENDA WITH STEVE PAIKIN
FINALIST FOR THE 2019 ARTHUR ELLIS AWARD FOR BEST NON-FICTION CRIME BOOK
Known to history as “The Fighting Parson,” Reverend J.O.L. Spracklin broke into a notorious Windsor roadhouse one chilly November night in 1920 and shot and killed barkeep Beverly “Babe” Trumble. Easily acquitted by reason of self-defense, he never served a day of time. A provincial liquor license inspector already known for his brash tactics, Spracklin’s audacious tactics solidified across North America the Detroit-Windsor borderlands’ reputation as the new Wild West—an uncivilized outpost where whisky flowed freely, warrants were forged on the spot, and ministers toted guns to keep the peace.
To the rest of Ontario, a dry province, Spracklin was the saviour they’d been waiting for, the answer to the lawlessness of the Border Cities—that is, until he shot a man at point blank range. In this exploration of the period, decorated Ontario historian Patrick Brode unpacks this infamous piece of Prohibition lore and asks: Why did Babe Trumble die? What led to a hotheaded reverend taking the law into his own hands, killing a man, and getting away with it? Full of fire-and-brimstone preachers, crooked politicians, wily rum runners, grandstanding lawyers, and innocents caught in the crossfire, Dying for a Drink is a fascinating read that will captivate anyone interested in the real stories behind this fabled time.
PRAISE FOR DYING FOR A DRINK
“A brisk read that aptly describes Canada’s temperance movement and the move towards prohibition…quite enjoyable.”
—Canada’s History
“Nicely researched…Fast-paced…This slim, lively volume illuminates Ontario’s pre–Jazz Age cultural and legal history and that of prohibition in an informative fashion.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Brode brings to his account a wealth of local knowledge about Windsor and its Prohibition-era past…well researched and peppered with fascinating characters.”
—Literary Review of Canada
“A fascinating book, thoroughly researched and tightly written.”
—Windsor Life
The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus
Regular price $26.95WJB's Book Club Pick for April 2026!
Use code BOOKCLUB to get 20% off at checkout.
Rupi Kaur's Writing Prompts | Self Love
Regular price $34.00
Rupi Kaur’s Writing Prompts Self-Love card deck is a step in the road towards healing.
Rupi Kaur shares her writing journey with a thoughtfully curated deck of 70 writing prompts that invoke curiosity and a deeper connection with the self. While focusing on the theme of gratitude, use this card deck as a part of your daily ritual to inspire appreciation and creativity. We hope it becomes a tool for you to continue to discover more about your inner and outer worlds, and a light to help navigate you through it all.
The Tragically Hip ABC
Regular price $24.99Sibley Tree Identification Flashcards
Regular price $27.99The Whispers
Regular price $24.95
On Harlow Street, the well-to-do neighbourhood couples and their children gather for a barbecue as the summer winds down. Everything is fabulous until Whitney, the picture-perfect hostess, explodes in fury because her son disobeys her. Everyone at the party hears her exquisite veneer crack—loud and clear. Before long, that same young boy falls from his bedside window in the middle of the night. And then his mother can only sit by her son’s hospital bed, where his life hangs in the balance.
Over the course of a tense three days, the women of the neighborhood grapple with what led to that terrible night. People-pleasing Blair, Whitney’s best friend, suspects something isn’t as it seems. Rebecca, the ER doctor who helps treat Whitney’s son, has struggled to have a child of her own. And the all-knowing Mara, the older woman next door, watches everyone’s world unravel from her front porch.
Exploring envy, women’s friendships, desire, and the intuitions that we silence, The Whispers is a chilling novel that marks Ashley Audrain as a major fiction talent.
Sibley Birder's Trivia: A Card Game
Regular price $34.00Shake My Sillies Out
Regular price $10.99Women Talking
Regular price $22.00Good Night Moose
Regular price $9.95Wheels on the Bus
Regular price $10.99Raffi's delightful rendition of the classic song about the bus that goes "all around town!"
Singing supports and encourages even the youngest child's speech and listening skills, which makes Wheels on the Bus perfect for early learning. With its charming illustrations, this is the ideal sing-aloud for a whole new generation of readers.
The Definitive Guide to Canadian Distilleries
Regular price $32.00From award-winning author of Canadian Whisky,Davin de Kergommeaux, comes an up-to-the minute and definitive guide to over 200 distilleries across Canada and the array of spirits they make.
The Definitive Guide to Canadian Distilleries is an indispensable guide to the past, present and future of Canada's distilleries. Written by bona fide Canadian spirits expert Davin de Kergommeaux, this book covers more than 200 of the most exciting and cutting-edge distilleries, large and small, who are shaping the industry today.
Just a decade ago, fewer than a dozen distilleries, concentrated in two provinces, produced almost all the spirits (mainly whisky) made in Canada. Today, there is a movement afoot in Canada's spirits world. There has never been a better selection of rich specialty spirits--from gin to moonshine, from flavoured vodka to liqueurs--to tempt the palate and supplement your long-time favourites. Despite flourishing public enthusiasm for Canada's distillers, other than incomplete and inaccurate web-based information, no one has offered consumers an all-inclusive guide... until now.
Using a trademark (and witty) blend of narrative, tasting notes, inventive cocktail recipes and vibrant photos, de Kergommeaux shares the unique genesis of each of these distillers who are pushing the boundaries and flavours of spirits of all kinds. Divided geographically with suggested distillery routes, and filled with key tour information as well as breakout features of the most exciting people and spirits today, The Definitive Guide to Canadian Distilleries is a treasured souvenir and fun companion to the distilleries in every corner of the country, and a must-have guide for curious drinkers and expert connoisseurs alike.
I Am a Beaver
Regular price $12.99A day in the life of one of Canada’s most iconic animals, from nationally celebrated and bestselling creator Paul Covello
I am a beaver, and I do what beavers do.
Come along and spend the day with an adorable beaver kit! Can you chomp through a tree, swim in a stream and help your family build a lodge? You could, if you were a beaver!
This bright and joyful board book is perfect for young animal lovers and book lovers alike.
I Want My Hat Back
Regular price $11.99Good Night Baby Animals
Regular price $9.95What Strange Paradise
Regular price $23.00Good Night Michigan
Regular price $9.95Original Six Dynasties: The Detroit Red Wings
Regular price $29.95