Love in My Stories
What does love have to do with it? I’ve been thinking a lot about that, while I’m preparing to launch A House Full of Strangers, my first collection of short stories, set in Winnipeg in the 1940s and 1950s. The book launches online on May 9th at all booksellers. There’s a lot of love in this historical fiction, from the Ukrainian landladies who loved their families to the tenants who looked for love, some of them in the wrong places. The ebook is available for Pre-Order Now.
5 Star Review
” Readers who enjoy historical fiction and character-centered storytelling will find A House Full of Strangers appealing, particularly those interested in stories about community, perseverance, and life shaped by changing circumstances.“
Carol Thompson for Readers’ Favorite
I’m also in discussion with a bookstore on Vancouver Island about an in-person talk to their book club. I’ll be posting here once I know.
This past Orthodox Easter Weekend
I grew up in a Ukrainian Orthodox Christian household. This past weekend, our family celebrated Ukrainian Easter. And what does love have to do with that? Well, this, to my mother, was the most wonderful time of the year. A time of nature awakening, blessing of the Easter baskets, great family gatherings, delicious food and wonderful song around the table. Mother showed her love by cooking and baking for the week ahead. We were so blessed to have so much love in the family.
I was taught Christ had died out of love for mankind; he died for our sins. His Father made the ultimate sacrifice; loved mankind so much he gave up his only son. With that kind of foundation, I grew up trying to do my best, and to love my neighbour like myself.
Love in the News
This is why it’s so disheartening to see wars continue in the Middle East and in Ukraine.
Every person lost is someone who is loved and will be missed.
It’s no secret that the leader of America is oblivious to other people’s pain. He has no love for anyone. He’s a man who, according to his niece Mary Trump, a psychologist, did not get the love he needed. She says on her website: “We are here because the one thing Donald most desperately needs, and has never gotten, and will never get because of how damaged and depraved his own father rendered him, is love.”
Love in Our Families
As I mentioned above, Easter was always a very special time of year in my family. My mother said it was better than Christmas. There was so much love in every dish she cooked and baked for the family Easter dinner that would include about twenty people.
Love for Family
And what does love have to do with it in my writing? A lot! It was my baba’s (grandmother’s) love for her family that gave her the strength she needed to survive WWI, the wars that followed, and the losses of those she loved. Love of her family also gave her the strength to leave her mother and the country she loved. This story is covered in my historical fiction trilogy, Lukia’s Family Saga: Sunflowers Under Fire, Lilacs in the Dust Bowl, and Paper Roses on Stony Mountain.
What I’m Reading
I had previously abandoned The Piano Man’s Daughter by Timothy Findley, but after my husband raved about the story, I’m reading it again and loving it. Maybe it’s the way I read. I tend to read quickly. Findley is not an author you can read quickly. His words are ones to savour; his sentences pack a punch. He writes about love, both the joy and pain of it, and he makes the characters come alive, as only he can do it.
One of my favourite books of Findley’s is the novella, You Went Away. I plan to re-read it again. Set in 1942, it’s a story about a romantic young R.C.A.F. pilot who captures the heart of a young married woman with an eleven-year-old son. She has a neglectful, philandering husband—so no wonder she strays. Again, we all want and need love.
Another beautiful novel about love is Elizabeth and After by Matt Cohen, a Governor General’s Award winner. Elizabeth is deceased at the beginning of the novel, but she leaves behind some secrets, ones that will shock her husband and adult son. The novel covers her years in a small farming community peopled by characters struggling to make sense of their own lives. I’d never read anything by Cohen before, but now I’m a fan. I hope to read more of his works.
Wishing you a Happy Spring
From my garden to your nature place. Wishing you a happy spring!
With Love,
