The days are getting shorter, and I’ve been reading by lamp light. The shadows cast by my piles of “to read” books look less like an encouraging reminder and more like the Vancouver skyline. A question popped into my mind while perusing the titles: What book has had the most impact on me and my work in 2021?
The not-surprising short answer: I couldn’t choose just one. What Was Said to Me: The Life of Sti’tum’atul’wut, a Cowichan Woman by Ruby Peter is a standout and an excerpt from this remarkable book is featured below. Another is Victoria Unbuttoned: A Red-Light History of BC’s Capital City by Linda J. Eversole, both for the book’s connection to my own research and for the great conversation I had with the author during an interview for the Fall 2021 issue (54.3).
If you decide to pick up any of the books profiled in Refracting History (or maybe featured online in The Ormsby Review) to expand your “to read” stack or give as gifts, consider buying local. Support history in your community through museum gift shops or historical societies or purchase directly from independent authors.
by Ruby Peter in collaboration with Helene Demers (Victoria: Royal BC Museum, 2021)
