Thomas Pullyblank

The Ghost of Billy Masterson and Other Thousand Islands Tales Thomas Pullyblank

"It was a cold, clear first day of winter when we laid Billy Masterson to rest in the water he loved. The river was glazed over near the shore that day but hadn't yet frozen. We followed Billy's instructions, given to Jim Pembroke several years before, exactly as he had written them. "The five remaining River Rat Reporters were with me that day. Mindy was too, having returned to the river from Buffalo after finishing the semester. The seven of us drove to the top of the American span of the Thousand Islands bridge and stopped our three vehicles to unload Billy's wrapped body from the back of my pickup. At the exact moment of the winter solstice, at 2:22 in the afternoon, a Canadian bagpiper played Amazing Grace as we lifted the body over one railing and onto the pedestrian walkway, one hundred fifty feet above the Saint Lawrence ..." Thus ends "Napoleon's Gold," Thomas Pullyblank's ambitious novel of historical discovery and spiritual wonder that feeds the imagination of all who know and love the Thousand Islands. In this remarkable collection of short stories, also set amidst the mesmerizing beauty of the Thousand Islands, Pullyblank picks up right where "Napoleon's Gold" left off. In reading these Thousand Islands Tales you'll share a ghostly adventure through space and time that fulfills a River Rat's deepest desire; an encounter with a shipwreck that will change a river matron's life forever; some unique Thousand Islands history as understood by a thoughtful teen; a dangerous thrill-ride that strengthens the bond between two cousins; a Christmas morning birth in the most unlikely of circumstances; the end-of-life reminiscences of a wealthy Thousand Islands aristocrat; and a River Rat's history-making journey home.