“The Whistling Bishop” is the biography of an Anglican Bishop's life, primarily as a missionary to the Inuits in Northern Canada during the 1950's and early 60s. A dear family friend of the author, Bishop James Clarke, or Uncle Jamie, led his life with an optimistic view, spreading his faith an... more

“The Whistling Bishop” is the biography of an Anglican Bishop's life, primarily as a missionary to the Inuits in Northern Canada during the 1950's and early 60s. A dear family friend of the author, Bishop James Clarke, or Uncle Jamie, led his life with an optimistic view, spreading his faith and his joy with not only his words, but also with his talent of carrying a playful whistled tune wherever he went. The story follows his childhood as one of three sons of a Canadian minister, to his experience in WWII, and on to his married life in the cold, isolated North. It is here that the life of James Clarke becomes truly fascinating: he arrived at a time when this area of Canada was just beginning to be explored and understood. Life there was hard, but the author describes a man and his family that are not only up to the challenges that they are presented, they also are able to appreciate the unique culture of the Inuit, and respect their particular talents and knowledge. It seems especially relevant to this reviewer that the author makes note of the persistent illnesses that the Inuit had to endure each time new people arrived from the more populated parts of Canada. Emily-Jane Hills Orford has done another wonderful job of vividly painting the picture of a person who is obviously close to her heart. The pages of this book are filled with well-deserved pride in a man whose life was an example of the intrinsic value of charity and the benefits of opening one's heart to the many positive abilities of humanity. I have read many of this authors previous work, including “Ukulele Yukon” and “The Creative Spirit”, and have thoroughly enjoyed them, so I knew that this too, would be a good read. I was pleasantly surprised to see that her writing has grown with her experience. That is to say that this accomplished author is not simply relying on her already mastered style, but is developing it further in a refreshing and informative way, producing with each novel characters and settings with greater clarity and detail. Her passion for the goodness of people, and her ability to describe them in ways that endears them to the reader is enviable. Highly recommended! Reviewer: Nancy Morris, Allbooks Reviews