News and event information for Williams Lake, BC - as it happens.

By LeRae Haynes

Cariboo authors Sage Birchwater and Susan Smith-Josephy were featured this afternoon at a book signing in the Save on Foods book department. Organized by book department manager Michelle Nolin, the event was an opportunity to meet some of the authors who write the books that bring local history alive. 

Susan Smith-Josephy was signing copies of her new book, ‘Lillian Alling,’ which is about an extraordinary woman who trekked across North America from New York to Dawson City, Yukon in the 1920s.

The new author said that the book signing today was a huge success and that she thoroughly enjoyed the experience. “One woman came by whose mother knew Lillian Alling and met her in Dawson City when she was at the local school,” she said.

“I loved the research for this book. I started out conLegendaryfirming whether her story was true or not. At the end of it, though, it was Lillian’s character that was the most interesting to me. Lillian was alone for a month at a time in the wilds of northern BC and the Yukon. She was a survivor.”

“I love having the local authors here: they have fun meeting the public and genuinely enjoy watching copies of their books going home with people,” book department manager Michelle Nolin. “The response has been great—people love this. Williams Lake is a small community and families are thrilled to read about people who were their neighbors and who were their teachers--they love to get behind local history.”

Susan also said that learning about the history of BC was phenomenal. “I learned so much while researching Lillian. So many people focus on the 1800s—the gold rush era, but this was the 1920s,” she said. “It was a quieter time that included things like prohibition.

“Lillian went through Stewart, BC, which was right next to Hyder, Alaska where there was prohibition,” she continued. “Stewart had the busiest liquor store in the province.”

The Vancouver Opera Company did an opera based on Lillian’s life last year, according to Susan, and there have been a couple of plays, a novel and numerous non-fiction activities. The Dawson City museum also puts on a regular play about Lillian Alling.

“I was born and raised here in Williams Lake and really like reading about things that happened before me,” Michelle explained. “If I don’t always know the author, I recognize the places and the family names. It makes me feel that I’m reading about the lives of the people my grandparents knew.” 

Susan’s book, as well as Sage’s books—‘Chiwid’, ‘Grit and Gumption’ and ‘The Legendary Betty Frank’, are available at Save on Foods, the Open Book, the Station House Gallery and at the museum. 

Tomorrow Darcy Christensen will be at Save on Foods to sign books, and on Thursday shoppers can buy books personally signed on the spot by Vera Bonner and on Friday Loren Dufour will be on site.

“These local books make such good Christmas presents—it helps people remember and it brings a smile to their faces,” Michelle continued. “You pick up one of these books and you’re with family: you’re with friends.”

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