Corinne Jeffery's Understanding Ursula series has been chronicling the history of a prairie family establishing themselves in Canada, beginning with Arriving: 1909-1919 and continuing with Thriving: 1920-1939. The series reaches its end this year, with the book that covers the longest stretch of time and goes across the prairie provinces. Jeffery will be in Yorkton to sign books on October 15 at Coles.
With the final book in the series, Jeffery says that it is much more autobiographical than the previous two. While always inspired by her family and friends and the stories they told, now she's covering her own journey. She says that part of the reason she decided to focus on her life and experience is because she was diagnosed with breast cancer, and she felt she had to spend time telling her own story.
"When you're diagnosed with cancer many things go through your head, I suspect that anybody who has that diagnosis really reassesses their life. One of my concerns was whether I would have the time to finish my story, so along that healing journey I made a deliberate choice to write from my heart, to reveal the truth, my truth."
From the beginning the series has been a tribute to her grandparents, Jeffery says, and she says they have always been the main inspiration behind her writing. She says that the books were always a personal project for herself, and was written as part of her own healing journey. She says she might not have even considered publishing the books without the influence daughter, and she's constantly astonished at the way they have caught on, but that it was also the time to put focus on Canadian stories.
"I am delighted that so many people are now enjoying Canadian history... Even from the beginning, I wanted to immortalize the real, ordinary Canadian. I have read books all my life, and I've always read books about other parts of the world... I kept asking myself why I'm always reading books about other countries, while I think that Canadians are as interesting and intriguing as every other nation of people."
She says she has been overwhelmed with the response to series, and that many of her readers have told her about reading the books multiple times, and finding new things in each experience. She wants to make history thrilling, and says her readers have reported that she has succeeded.
"They're page turners, they're full of twists and turns and secrets and intrigue... Lots of people like myself read mysteries and spy thrillers for the thrill of it, but how many people would pick up a Canadian history expecting to be thrilled?"
With the completion of her trilogy, Jeffery says she's proud of what she has accomplished, and could not be prouder of her first three books.
"I wanted to write since I was seven, I didn't start until I was fifty-seven, and by sixty-seven I have three books."
With the book tour following the launch, Jeffery says she's excited about coming to Yorkton, which is both close to some of the places described in the books, and a place where they have been enthusiastically received. She says she can't wait to meet readers old and new in the city.
