Family & Relationships
A Bright and Steady Flame
By Luanne Armstrong
In 1974, after escaping an abusive marriage, Luanne Armstrong struggled with poverty and caring for four small children. During this time, the author and Sam Moore began their friendship; they were both young single parents in crisis, and needed to change their lives. They supported ... Read more
A Roller-coaster Ride
By Naomi Beth Wakan
Silver medal for the 4th Annual Living Now Book Awards
Now past her eightieth birthday, Naomi Beth Wakan is well-placed to be writing about aging. Qualifying between merely being old and old-old, she considers retirement homes, elder abuse, death and the often thorny question ... Read more
A Woman of Her Time
By Louise Dupré
Translated by Liedewy Hawke
In this memoir, the distinguished feminist author and poet Louise Dupré conjures up the tragedies and joys of her mother's life--and does so not only in the personal context of the family but as a woman of her time in the dramatically changing backdrop of Quebec before, during, ... Read more
As I Remember It
By Tara Lee Morin
Taken from her Native birth mother as a baby. Removed from her adoptive parents' home at 5 and caught shoplifting at 11. On the streets prostituting herself at 14. This is the stark childhood and adolescence of Tara Lee, the protagonist of As I Remember It. But she triumphs ... Read more
Bittersweet
By Philip Lee
Sometimes the life we have constructed needs to fall apart before we can begin the process of making something better. After his first marriage ended, Philip Lee found himself living with his younger brother in an old fisherman's house by the sea, trying to restore some order ... Read more
Cleopatra at the Breakfast Table
By Peter O'Brien
Cleopatra at the Breakfast Table is about storytelling in the digital age. It's a jaunty account of a single father, 55, and his daughter, 15, studying Grade 10 Latin together. The book explores the bustling life of teenaged girls, the expanding influence of technology, the ... Read more
Conflict Is Not Abuse
By Sarah Schulman
Judy Grahn Award for Lesbian Non-Fiction winner
From intimate relationships to global politics, Sarah Schulman observes a continuum: that inflated accusations of harm are used to avoid accountability. Illuminating the difference between Conflict and Abuse, Schulman directly addresses ... Read more
Corridor Nine
By Sophie Stocking
Seven years ago Bernadette Macomber did everything she could to cut her ties to her father Fabian, his opiate addiction, gun collection, and increasingly bizarre behaviour. She moved with her husband and four children, leaving no return address. Now, following his suicide, her ... Read more
Cures for Hunger
By Deni Béchard
Growing up in rural British Columbia, Deni Béchard believes his charismatic father is infallible. Wild, unpredictable, even dangerous, André is worshipped by his young son, who believes that his father can do no wrong.
When the boy discovers his father's true identity — ... Read more
Dear Scarlet
By Teresa Wong
Longlisted for Canada Reads; Finalist, City of Calgary W. O. Mitchell Book Prize
In this intimate and moving graphic memoir, Teresa Wong writes and illustrates the story of her struggle with postpartum depression in the form of a letter to her daughter Scarlet. Equal parts heartbreaking ... Read more