Farley Mowat has written more than 30 books; more than 14 million copies of them have been sold worldwide. Mowat was born in Belleville, Ontario, Canada, in 1921. During his childhood, he lived in many places throughout Canada. Mowat served in the Canadian army during World War II (1939–1945), rising from private to captain. After the war, Mowat moved around frequently and visited nearly every corner of Canada and many places outside that country. His fascination in northern Arctic lands led him to write about them. Mowat's books include The People of the Deer, My Discovery of America, Farfarers: Before the Norse, and The Snow Walker, from which this short story was taken.