Books published by FriesenPress

Manitoba Muslims: A History of Resiliance and Growth is both a look back at the history of Muslims in the province of Manitoba, and a look forward into the future. The Muslims of Manitoba have a presence that reaches back beyond a century. They are a fast-growing demographic and continue to make many positive contributions to their community and country. The history of Manitoba Muslims is an integral part of the history of Manitoba and Canada; with a better collective understanding of our history, all Canadians can work together to create a more respectful, tolerant, and welcoming nation.This book opens with a history of the community, beginning in 1900. The second section examines some of the issues and challenges facing the Islamic community in Manitoba. The author examines the challenges faced by specific segments of the community, such as women, youth, and converts. In addition, address affiliations, controversies, social issues, halal alternatives, integration, and Islamophobia. This book will appeal to members of the public interested in learning about Islam and the Muslim community in Manitoba. It will also serve as an informative resource for historians, faith groups, and governing bodies.

CAIN MCALLISTER'S birth on the bank of the Mississippi River during an earthquake becomes a small-town story of infamy and forever changes the strong, troubled women who love the little boy. Though shunned and bullied throughout his childhood, hope arrives when a new preacher and his family move to town and Cain finds what he has always longed for - a best friend. The fate of the friendship takes a deadly turn when a young girl with a secret comes to visit and the tiny town in the Arkansas Delta ignites into spiritual revival.Lost Cain points a microscope at the political brand of Christianity taking root in the 1960's and 70's, illuminating the "Culture Wars" in a way that is poignant and impossible to ignore. All the hot button issues are here, yet they're explored with such a gentle bluntness that even the most inflammatory events feel natural, justified and believable.Lost Cain will make you laugh, then cry, then laugh again - a hilarious, tender look at a fading town struggling against both the encroaching waters of the Mississippi River and the coming cultural change in small-town America.

Props are integral to the success of any movie or TV show. Weapons, books, newspapers, eyeglasses, military gear, medical equipment-virtually anything that a character holds, reads, uses, or shoots on screen is provided by the props department. The right prop can become an iconic plot point on which the entire story pivots, turning that item into a fabled piece of Hollywood history. The wrong prop can expose a film or a TV show as a shoddy production, making the story more laughable than believable. Even worse is a prop breaking, or not showing up when the cameras are ready to roll.Such a scenario is the worst nightmare for someone like Dean Goodine, who has spent nearly four decades putting props into the hands of actors and using these items to help bring imaginary worlds to life. Dean has worked on everything from Oscar-nominated feature films like Unforgiven to network TV shows like Stargate SGI to streaming hits like A Series of Unfortunate Events to small independent films.In this book, Dean details the highs and lows of his thirty-six years in props, giving readers a firsthand look at what it takes to deliver the goods on screen. It's full of humourous stories and hair-raising moments, and it features many names that you will recognize along the way.When it comes to recognizing excellence in the film industry, no awards are ever given for props, but by the time you reach the end of this book, no doubt, you'll agree there should be.

History isn't always written as it truly happened . . .In all four corners of the ancient world, growing threats assemble into a storm of carnage, as the Roman eagle seeks to seize all who will not kneel before it in its golden talons.In the colossal palace of Pharoah Ptolemy XII Auletes, his youngest daughter, sweet Kleopatra Vll, and her dearest friend, Akela, daughter of the pharaoh's favorite general, are only vaguely aware of the dark currents swirling under the surface of their world, and dangerously unaware of a dark prophecy concerning them both that will be set in motion by the arrival of a mysterious visitor from foreign lands.On Krete, the last Spartan princess is humiliated and imprisoned after being pulled from a city in flames, fighting to keep some vestige of her people's legendary spirit alive.In Rome, the quietly troubled Julius Caesar mourns lost love even as he solidifies his rule with the crucifixion of the slave rebel Spartacus and all who followed him.And on the far-away shores of the Aegean, the last remaining tribes of ferocious Amazons struggle to avoid extinction as they battle forces from all sides and alliances amongst enemies are forged out of necessity.In this first book of The Aegean series, a deadly secret born of vengeance and fear, known only by Kleopatra and her childhood companion, threatens to rock the foundations of a powerful empire and discredit the lineage of the last Egyptian dynasty. With hungry eyes set only on revenge, the whispered words of lustful, power-hungry men nurture the viper sleeping in Kleopatra's heart like venom infiltrating the bloodstream of history.

Christmas Eve is here but Santa Claus has lost his cookies, and without them his sleigh won't fly. Mrs. Claus knows what to do-with everyone's help, she sets to work and teaches Santa how to bake. When Santa Claus is ready to go, he discovers the elves had taken the cookies for their party. Luckily, he's learned a new skill and now has all the cookies he needs to deliver gifts around the world just in time for Christmas morning. Santa's Christmas Cookies is a wonderful Christmas book that gives young readers a new glimpse into Santa's North Pole, humanizing Santa and also revealing how much Mrs. Claus contributes to Christmastime too.

In every person's life, there will be times of both darkness and light. With insight born of personal experience, and a sincerity that resonates strongly with undeniable emotional truth, this collection of incredibly personal poetry delves into both the shadows and radiance of the human experience, inspiring its readers to find strength and empowerment in life's polarity, embracing both the laughter and the tears as catalysts for personal growth.A poetry collection that touches the seat of the soul and those deep feelings that we all share but are so often neglected or avoided, Discombobulated Constellations serves as a reminder that all feelings and experiences should be welcomed within us and that none of us are truly alone in the darkness.