This is the life of “Big Jim” Pendergast of Hope River, P.E.I. He succeeded in track & field, boxing and tried the Klondike gold rush. In later years, he would turn his attention to the economic revival of Prince Edward Island. As well as humorous accounts of familial relationships, there are samples of his writing on the two themes that dominated his interest: one was that of encouraging and cajoling young people to fulfill their potential, and the other was the theme of economic revival for his beloved Island, especially through tourism.