Garry Leeson describes his book, The Secret of the Spring as historical fiction.
Before reading, we ventured to Spa Springs. We came from the Margaretsville side. I remembered the Vault Road, from the time when we lived in Clarence in the 1980’s. This time we found the Spring Bottling plant.
After reading Leeson’s book. I need a return trip to appreciate the location of the Spa Hotel, as well as the actual Spring. That will be another day.
What I gained from Leeson was how through historical research, it is possible to create a sense of livelihood, lifestyle over several decades in rural Nova Scotia.
It also generated an interest in Historical Geography. How much geographical fiction exists in the mountain and the valley? This will lead to my reading Leeson’s The Dome Chronicles describing the ‘back-to-the-land movement in the 1960’s and 1980’s.
After checking with Paul Colville, I made a side trip to The Inside Story. Not only did I find the Dome Chronicles, but also I discovered Dan Johnson’s Ashes, the sequel to the Secret of the Spring. A great success!
Acknowledgements
Paul Colville helped me locate Leeson’s books. Heather shared the drive through Spa Springs. Edward added the graphics.
References.
Gary Leeson, 2019, The Dome Chronicles, Nevermore Press via Nimbus Publishing.
Gary Leeson, 2021, The Secret of the Spring, Moose House Publications.
Gary Leeson, 2023, Dan Johnson’s Ashes, Moose House Publications.
Ernest Blair Experiment 
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