The Ghost of Billy Masterson, by 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.......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.
See TI Life book review here: https://tilife.org/BackIssues/Archive/tabid/393/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/1628/An-Excerpt-A-Birth-on-the-River.html
About the Author
Thomas Pullyblank was born and raised in Caledonia, New York, and received his education at the University of Albany and the Boston University School of Theology. He now lives on a farm outside Cooperstown, New York, and also serves as a United Methodist pastor in Sidney, New York. Pullyblank still vacations in the Thousand Islands, where he and his family traveled every summer of his childhood.
PRINT EDITIONS:
Publication Information Sheet
ISBN-13: 978-0-9856926-6-7
ISBN-10: 0-9856926-6-9
LCCN: 2014956915
Product #: SCP-0053
Retail Price: $17.95
Physical: 140 pages, 5.25" x 8", softcover, B&W interior
Publication Date: December 6, 2014
eBOOK EDITIONS: Amazon Kindle: July 2015