The River and the Railroad (3rd Edition Paperback)

Published by Blue River Press (2010), The River and the Railroad highlights the adventures of two boys, set in the small Canadian town of New Thunder in 1913. Determined to run away by hopping the train like their friend Hobo Willy, their goal is to head west to the Rocky Mountains, or south to Florida. Before they leave, they get involved as witnesses to a murder, and this sets in motion a perilous chain of events.

"The book is really about two boys growing up in a small southern Ontario town," says Menary, "and as such, it will remind readers of the little triumphs and tragedies we all experience in youth. So much of the book is infused with my own childhood and this, ultimately, is not so different from the experiences of most others. I hope this book will give people moments they can recognize, remember and treasure. It's a reflection of a time and place that has come and gone, but the little pieces of time captured in The River and the Railroad are universal."