An Ottawa valley town named after a Mexican general? True. Almonte, Ontario, a scenic, historic mill town … on the Mississippi River! Yes, I said that right. The Canadian Mississippi River! A town named after General Juan Almonte, a Mexican who never really was connected with Canada. How did that happen?

Well, it seems local Canadians admired the man, according to an excerpt from the Almonte Gazette, July 30, 1970 “as he was a man of uncommon frankness and had plenty of courage, he stood up for the rights of his country in stalwart fashion and gave Uncle Sam enough vigorous back-chat to make things interesting.” Alrighty … guess that’s a good enough reason to like the name Almonte!

And when the previously chosen name of Waterford was rejected because it was already taken, Almonte was selected. The rest is history! Check it out here.

Almonte is a small community about 30 minutes from Ottawa. It is an historic, scenic mill town known for its arts scene, beautiful Inns and B&Bs, galleries, boutiques and antique shops.

It is also home of Mill Street Books, owned by Mary and Terry Lumsden.

Mill Street Books was selected as one of Canada’s top 10 most beloved bookstores and has received glowing reviews from its customers. It is very clear this independent bookstore, through the hard work and dedication of its owners and staff, has created something very special, adding to the charm of this community.

I am so very fortunate to have a book event in Almonte on July 25^th. I, along with my husband, David, will be doing a presentation and book signing at the Mississippi Mills (Almonte) Library, 155 High Street, 7 – 8 p.m., for my memoir, Ready to Come About (Dundurn Press).

All of this is made possible by Mary Lumsden, Mill Street Books! Thanks Mary!

For more details, see: Facebook events page

 

 

Launching my memoir, Ready to Come About (Dundurn Press), into the world has certainly been an exciting adventure.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of this journey has been working with the intrepid owners of independent bookstores; The Bookshelf in Guelph, Furby House Books in Port Hope, the Nautical Mind Bookstore on the Toronto Waterfront, and the Novel Idea Bookstore in Kingston. Each of these independents have a unique history and character, and have notoriety far beyond the communities in which they reside. But, they also play a special role for those who live in the neighbourhoods around them, enhancing the mosaic that makes a community a community.

It is with great pleasure that, on July 9^th, I will be spending time at TYPE Books in Toronto’s Junction, 2887 Dundas Street West, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.

TYPE Books is the creation of Samara Walbohm and Joanne Saul, book lovers who in 2006 had the courage to launch a new independent bookstore on Queen Street in Toronto, just when big-box stores and Amazon were popping up, and independents were closing. Thank goodness for the determination of these women, and all the other independent bookstore owners, who have preserved through the changing economy, and continue as gems in the fabric of our local communities.

I will be doing readings from my memoir and, together with my husband, David, we will provide a short visual presentation with some of the backstories of the book. A Q&A and book signing will follow.

The theme of the night is “A Taste of Summer”. This is in response to the wonderful news that Ready to Come About has been included in the Globe and Mail’s recommended “summer reads” for 2019. Keeping with this theme, another local gem in the fabric of the Junction, Amira Eskenazi of Valis Foodcraft, will be serving up tasty picnic finger foods!

It should be a fun night. Hope to see you there! And thank you, TYPE Books, for this opportunity!