Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known by his pen-name, Mark Twain, was born in Missouri in 1835.  His life was as adventurous as any character in a novel.  Forced to leave school at the age of twelve when his father died, the young Sam worked as a journeyman printer, a gold prospector, a steam-boat pilot, a soldier, and finally, a journalist.  Having dubbed himself "Mark Twain" ~ the cry of a river pilot signifying that the water is two fathoms deep ~ he found enormous success as a writer.

Among his most celebrated titles are The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Prince and the Pauper, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court and Tom Sawyer.  Several generations later, referring to Tom Sawyer, Ernest Hemingway remarked, "All modern literature stems from this one book."

On Saturday, The Neat Little Bookshop will feature Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn and his friend Tom Sawyer in the festival event "Grand Attractions," York, ON.