Those of us fortunate enough to live in the Parksville Qualicum Beach area have a keen connection to the Salish Sea. For author Carolyn Redl, 17 years here on the mid-Island after a lifetime on the Prairies forged a connection deep enough to inspire a celebrated new book.
Redl’s brand new Four Seasons by the Salish Sea: Discovering the Natural Wonders of Coastal Living is part travelogue, part natural history – an enchanting book exploring life over the course of a year by waters that extend from Port Renfrew on the west coast of Vancouver Island to Desolation Sound on the east coast.
Each season highlights events in nature, along with observations and travels taken by the author, now living by the Salish Sea in Victoria, and more than 100 full-colour images, many by local photographer Nancy Randall.
With a calm pace and gentle tone, the first-person narrative explores the plants, animals, social history, parks and communities along the shore while incorporating conservationist concerns for natural habitats, ecosystems and keystone species, and discussing potential threats such as earthquakes, droughts and invasive species.
Four Seasons by the Salish Sea is just one of the locally inspired titles featured this month at Qualicum Beach’s Mulberry Bush Bookstore.
Through June 30, Mulberry Bush is highlighting a selection of local books from B.C. publisher Heritage House, committed to local writers, diverse voices and the province’s independent bookstores.
Locally inspired titles like this not only help preserve our collective history, they reflect the diversity of our communities, shared on the shelves of our local, independent bookshops – “an integral part of Canadian culture,” notes the Canadian Independent Booksellers Association.
“Indie bookstores … provide an inclusive space where people can connect over shared interests. Local booksellers also play a vital role in the Canadian literary ecosystem. They are conduits of discovery, championing Canadian creators at all career stages and introducing Canadian readers to a diverse range of voices from across Canada’s rich cultural landscape.”
It’s certainly true on the mid-Island, where for more than 48 years, Mulberry Bush Bookstore has shared the voices of authors from both around the corner and around the world.
“To experience the emotion and drama, humour, life experiences and imagination of a story well told, to be touched personally and to learn new things, is a genuine reward of reading good books,” says Mulberry Bush co-owner Barbara Pope. “This selection is a fine example and as local indie booksellers for over 48 years, we are proud to carry them.”
More locally inspired titles for your shelf
Need more reasons to Treat Your Shelf this month? Here’s a selection of locally inspired titles to inform and entertain everyone in the family:
- The Bulldog and the Helix: DNA and the Pursuit of Justice in a Frontier Town – Port Alberni author and long-time reporter Shayne Morrow traces the role of DNA evidence in two groundbreaking murder cases involving young girls killed two decades apart in Port Alberni.
- Frances Barkley: Eighteenth-century Seafarer – Published April, this engaging book from Victoria-based author Cathy Converse shares Barkley’s life in the form of a diary. A trailblazer for her time but largely unknown outside of B.C. maritime history, Barkley was the first woman to openly circumnavigate the world twice and is considered the first European woman to have visited Canada’s west coast. Many Pacific Northwest locations still bear names from her adventures, including Barkley Sound, Trevor Channel, Cape Beal, Loudoun Channel and Imperial Eagle Channel.
- is the first in Heritage House’s new Trailblazing Canadians series of historical biographies for kids. Written by bestselling Nanaimo author Haley Healey and illustrated by Victoria artist Kimiko Fraser, the book is suitable for young readers, ages 4 to 8 and older, and includes a free study guide on Heritage House’s website.
- Cooking Tips for Desperate Fishwives: An Island Memoir – With dark humour, Gabriola Island author Margot Fedoruk shares her offbeat memoir chronicling the unpredictable life of a young wife and mother. Part love story, part survival story, part meditation on family dysfunction, Margot also includes recipes, from the hearty Eastern European fare of her childhood to more adventurous coastal B.C. cuisine.
Learn more at mulberrybushbooks.com and visit in downtown Qualicum Beach at 130 Second Ave. You can also stay up-to-date with the latest local book news on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.