Personal Reminiscences in Book Making, and Some Short Stories

** "Personal Reminiscences in Book Making, and Some Short Stories" by R. M. (Robert Michael) Ballantyne is a compilation where the author shares his journey and contemplations from spending time in the world of books, probably written in the 1800s. Ballantyne writes about the ups and downs of creating stories, mostly for kids, using his adventures and knowledge from experiences. The book includes thoughtful ideas about writing mixed with moral lessons found in a few short tales. At the beginning, Ballantyne talks about himself and describes how he became a writer. He thinks back to his younger years and the time he spent working as a clerk for the Hudson's Bay Company, and happily recalls the funny letters he sent to his mother from his wilderness period in Canada, which gave him the spark to create stories based on these times. Ballantyne tells interesting stories about the struggles he faced when gathering information for his books, pointing out how crucial being real adds to storytelling, setting the tone for his writing style and hinting at the moral ideas in his stories. **