Honoured to have contributed a chapter to Métis Matriarchs: Agents of Transition, released by University of Regina Press in September. My chapter studies the life of Josette Lagacé Work, the matriarch featured in my historical novels. The wife of HBC Chief Factor John Work, she ensured the survival of her large family and community through …
Review of Tomorrow, The McBride Chronicles
Glad for the opportunity to review Tomorrow, the awaited fourth book of The McBride Chronicles, by Victoria author Valerie Green. This time, Green tackles more recent history in mid-twentieth century Victoria, BC. She skilfully weaves continuity through generations of the McBride settler family as they face new challenges ahead. Green offers a vital and hopeful …
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Historical Women talk for Unitarians
I thoroughly enjoyed discussing Local Historical Women with the Capital Unitarian Universalist Congregation. The presentation touched on spirituality and spiritualism (as explored by a 19th century Unitarian). The thoughtful questions during the forum were engaging. Many thanks to Peter, Heather, Amanda, and Dick for the warm welcome and support, as well as to Leigh for …
Review of Keepers of the Garden
Drawn to novels based on real people and events, I was enthusiastic about reading A. S. Rodlie’s Keepers of the Garden for The BC Review. There aren’t many novels focussed on early fur trade history of the Pacific Northwest, making this one particularly intriguing. Having some familiarity with the few sources of the doomed Pacific …
Book Club at Point Ellice
In September, the Goward House Book Club met at Point Ellice House for a stimulating discussion about Trappings and Point Ellice’s first residents during the turbulent 1860s. I appreciated the enthusiasm of readers who were immersed in the moving story of Kate (Work) and her husband, Charles Wentworth Wallace. Topics ranged from researching 19th-century women’s …
BC Review of historical novel Providence
I was delighted to have the opportunity to review historian Valerie Green’s debut novel, Providence, for The British Columbia Review. An author of over 20 non-fiction titles, Green deftly blends fact and fiction in this vivid portrayal of colonial British Columbia. Set in the mid-19th-century, the engaging story captures the spirit of hope and desperation …
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Blarney Book Club reads Trappings
I thoroughly enjoyed discussing Trappings with the Blarney Book Club, an Edmonton-Victoria group of dedicated readers. They met in the book store business 25 years ago! It was an honour to have them read my historical novel on their anniversary year. Our engaging talk ranged from my writing and research process, to the many mourning …
Book Club at Pt. Ellice
It was a pleasure to meet with a book club at Point Ellice House, the setting of Trappings’ story. We had an engaging discussion about the first owners of this Victorian house, ranging from domestic to dynastic power plays. In the evening ambience, the halls where the characters walked before us seemed part of the …
Miramichi Reader Review
Naomi MacKinnon’s review of Trappings was re-posted in The Miramichi Reader, a journal that “highlights noteworthy books and authors across Canada from coast to coast to coast.” https://miramichireader.ca/2021/09/trappings-by-vanessa-winn/
Consumed by Ink review
Trappings received an insightful review in Nova Scotia by Naomi MacKinnon. Shining a light on Canadian women’s history, she appreciates the coast-to-coast ties of the Wentworth Wallace family, who fled Halifax under scandal to start over in BC. In her words: You don’t have to be a history buff to enjoy this book … Some …