About Heart of a Lumberman
From the deep forests of New Brunswick to the shattered trenches of France, one man’s quiet courage will shape a legacy that endures.
Raised among the timber camps and rivers of the Maritimes, young Frank Bayer learns the strength, honesty, and grit of a true lumberman. But when the First World War erupts, he trades his axe and saw for the thunder of artillery, joining the 20th Battery and stepping into a conflict far from anything he has ever known.
On the battlefields of Vimy Ridge, Passchendaele, and beyond, Frank confronts the brutal machinery of war and discovers moments of unexpected humanity, including a fateful encounter with a frightened German soldier that will stay with him for the rest of his life. Amid chaos, friendship, fear, and fleeting camaraderie with soldiers from across the Commonwealth, he fights not just for survival, but to hold on to the person he once was.
Returning home forever changed, Frank builds a new life in rural Nova Scotia, raising a family, driving the village’s only taxi, and serving his community with quiet dignity. Yet the war’s echoes never fully leave him. In the spaces between words, in the roads he travels, and in the forests he loves, his unspoken battles linger.
Heart of a Lumberman is a sweeping, emotionally rich novel of endurance, compassion, and the ordinary heroism of a man who carried the weight of history, and still found the strength to love, to work, and to live. It is the story of a generation, and of one man whose heart remained steady through every storm.
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Author Bio:
Mark Baker was born and raised in Stewiacke, Nova Scotia, where his strong ties to rural community life fostered a deep appreciation for history and storytelling. For over twenty years, he worked at a local cement manufacturing plant, a longstanding family connection, before transitioning to a career in workplace health and safety. In this role, Mark specialized in operational and health and safety training and development. His commitment to employee well-being and organizational excellence has been a hallmark of every position he has held.
Although Mark is new to authoring books, he brings extensive experience in creating clear, practical documentation, having developed operational, workplace health & safety documents and numerous training initiatives throughout his career. His enduring passion for military history and personal drive to better understand his grandfather, a First World War veteran, served as the inspiration for his book, “Heart of a Lumberman.” Through careful research and creative reconstruction.
A proud father of five children and 2 grandchildren of a blended, loving family, Mark continues to call Nova Scotia home. He remains deeply connected to the province’s landscapes, people, and stories, all of which continue to shape his work and writing.