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Books and Beyond

  • Blue book cover for I Hope So by Dr. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe, with yellow and white typography.

    I Hope So: How to Choose Hope Even When It’s Hard

    Dr. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe, Artsci/Ed’05, MEd’07,

    Hope is not a luxury or toxic optimism; it’s the essential force propelling the human experience by inspiring action and igniting personal transformation. That’s the message conveyed by Dr. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe, Artsci/Ed’05, MEd’07, in I Hope So: How to Choose Hope Even When It’s Hard. The award-winning author writes that in a divided and uncertain world, hope resides within each of us. She writes that the brain has a natural ability to bounce back from setbacks – an ability that can be tapped into through neuroscience, physiology, and psychology to build resiliency and create a better version of ourselves. I Hope So: How to Choose Hope Even When It’s Hard is available at Page Two Books, Inc.

  • Book cover for Complex Kids, Simple Solutions, featuring silhouettes of three children against a peach and navy background.

    Complex Kids, Simple Solutions

    Jenny Demark, MA’98

    To say that parenting is challenging would, for most people, be an understatement. That job has become even more challenging in an age of misinformation, especially on social media. Where does that leave parents trying to raise their children? As has been repeatedly echoed: You need the facts from reliable sources. Written by three behavioural specialists, including Jenny Demark, MA’98, Complex Kids, Simple Solutions presents a research-based approach to effective parenting. The book is built around three essential fundamentals: prepare, teach, and motivate. All have been used by the authors over decades working with families. Complex Kids, Simple Solutions is available at Exisle Publishing.

  • Book cover for Sisters for Justice by Catherine Higgs, featuring stained-glass artwork of two embracing figures.

    Sisters for Justice

    Catherine Higgs, Artsci’84

    History tends to focus on the big moments. Yet it is often small acts that move the wheels of history. In South Africa, Catherine Higgs, Artsci’84, reveals that apartheid was dismantled by the seemingly small actions of individuals. In her book, Sisters for Justice, she writes about how a number of Catholic religious sisters, beginning in the 1960s, pushed for change. Working within the context of a male-led church that was initially hesitant to criticize the South African state, these fearless women provided basic medical services, defied segregationist laws by opening schools for all races, and joined protests, among other acts. The author is a professor of history at UBC. Sisters for Justice is available at University of Wisconsin Press.

  • Book cover for Songbirds Keep Singing by Lisa Lauter, featuring a silhouetted profile with branching trees and birds.

    Songbirds Keep Singing: A Memoir of Healing from Autoimmune Brain Inflammation

    Lisa Lauter, BNSc’94

    Lisa Lauter, BNSc’94, recounts her search for answers in Songbirds Keep Singing: A Memoir of Healing from Autoimmune Brain Inflammation. A nurse and public-health professional, the author developed mysterious neurological symptoms and was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune brain inflammation. Blending memoir with research, she explores how conventional medicine and a holistic approach put her on a path to recovery, offering hope and practical insights for patients, caregivers, and health professionals navigating complex autoimmune and brain-health challenges. Songbirds Keep Singing: A Memoir of Healing from Autoimmune Brain Inflammation is available at FriesenPress.

  • Book cover for The Unravelling of Ou, featuring an illustrated sock puppet with button eyes.

    The Unravelling of Ou

    Hollay Ghadery, Artsci’04

    How does one unravel oneself from an imaginary friend, especially when that “friend” has been integral to your journey? That’s a question Hollay Ghadery, Artsci’04, asks in her debut novel, The Unravelling of Ou. The Iranian-Canadian writer’s novel is about the relationship between Minoo and her beloved sock puppet, Ecology Paul. As Minoo decides whether to break with the puppet over familial concerns, the book explores teenage pregnancy in Iran, exile to Canada, sexuality, and how a sock came to support Minoo emotionally. It’s an imaginative novel that examines trauma, cultural norms, and mental health. The author’s acclaimed memoir Fuse won the 2023 Canadian Book Club Award. The Unravelling of Ou is available at Palimpsest Press.

  • Book cover for Without Prejudice, featuring a portrait of the author against a rainbow background.

    Without Prejudice: My Life as a Gay Judge

    Harvey Brownstone, Law’80

    Trailblazing lawyer Harvey Brownstone, Law’80, was Canada’s first openly gay judge. After 26 years on the bench, Justice Brownstone is now retired – and he’s not holding back. His new book, Without Prejudice: My Life as a Gay Judge, is an unflinching memoir that takes readers on a poignant and, at times, darkly funny journey behind the scenes of criminal and family courts. Mixing his professional story of judicial innovation with personal reflections on the many challenges he faced over the years, Justice Brownstone paints an autobiographical portrait of resilience. Watch for a Hollywood film adaptation starring David Arquette this fall. Without Prejudice: My Life as a Gay Judge is available at ECW Press.

  • Book cover for A Journey in Surgery, featuring a surgical scene and author portrait.

    A Journey in Surgery: The Memoir of a Canadian Surgeon

    Dennis Pitt, MD’72

    Charting one’s path through life is rarely simplistic – especially when it comes to careers. Dennis Pitt’s grandfather and parents were all involved in the Canadian Armed Forces, so that career path seemed inevitable. Yet after a few “pivotal events,” Dr. PItt, MD’72, found himself applying for medical college. Once there, the field of choice was wide open, though the idea of becoming a surgeon had never been part of his plan. A Journey in Surgery: The Memoir of a Canadian Surgeon recounts Dr. Pitt’s career as a surgeon; it also serves as a commentary on the history of medicine as well as its future. Dr. Pitt sadly passed away in February, but his book remains as a record of his life and work. A Journey in Surgery: The Memoir of a Canadian Surgeon is available at FriesenPress.

  • Book cover for Restorying Your Story, featuring abstract geometric shapes behind vertical bars.

    Restorying Your Story: Reclaiming Your Voice in the Face of Past Injustice

    Michael Gauthier, MEd’11, PhD’17

    Our stories matter, but sometimes it’s necessary to “restory” our lives – that is, look back at the past to map a new future. Michael Gauthier, MEd’11, PhD’17, knows well how this can be done. In Restorying Your Story: Reclaiming Your Voice in the Face of Past Injustice, he writes about his experience as a young Indigenous man, a “Survivor of intergenerational trauma,” who turned to addiction as a way of coping and was eventually incarcerated. He then worked to restory his life by breaking cycles of harm, working to change internal narratives. Restorying Your Story: Reclaiming Your Voice in the Face of Past Injustice is available at Medicine Wheel Publishing.

In Memoriam