Infused with the same storytelling style and energy that have made him one of Canada's most widely read and respected novelists, Rudy Wiebe's First and Vital Candle is the powerful story of one man's search for meaning, both in the mean streets of our urban landscape, and in the wilderness beyond. Rebellious, adrift and alone in his quest, the middle aged hero of this compelling novel settles finally with a band of Ojibway in Northern Ontario where, confronted with the mystical and spiritual qualities of the North and its people, he is finally able to open his heart to love and profound understanding.