Book Club is a welcoming, low-pressure space for anyone who loves a good story and friendly conversation. We meet once a month on a Monday to share our thoughts on a wide variety of engaging reads. This year, we’re exploring the works of many Canadian authors, including fiction, memoirs, history, and other thought-provoking literary non-fiction.
There’s no expectation to attend every meeting - join when you can! And if life gets in the way and you haven’t finished the book, you’re still more than welcome to come and take part in the discussion. Our meetings are relaxed and collaborative, with everyone invited to share insights, ask questions, or simply listen.
Whether you’re a lifelong reader or just looking for a reason to read more, the Rosedale Centre Book Club is a great way to connect with others, discover new authors, and be part of a warm and welcoming community.
If you have an questions reach out to Caroline Duncanson at cduncanson@sympatico.ca
This month's book is Woman Watching: Louise de Kirline Lawrence and the Songbirds of Pimisi Bay by Merilyn Simonds.
From award-winning author Merilyn Simonds, a remarkable biography of anextraordinary woman ― a Swedish aristocrat who survived the Russian Revolution to become an internationally renowned naturalist, one of the first to track the mid-century decline of songbirds.
Referred to as a Canadian Rachel Carson, Louise de Kiriline Lawrence lived and worked in an isolated log cabin near North Bay. After her husband was murdered by Bolsheviks, she refused her Swedish privilege and joined the Canadian Red Cross, visiting her northern Ontario patients by dogsled. When Elzire Dionne gave birth to five babies, Louise became nurse to the Dionne Quintuplets. Repulsed by the media circus, she retreated to her wilderness cabin, where she devoted herself to studying the birds that nested in her forest. Author of six books and scores of magazine stories, de Kiriline Lawrence and her “loghouse nest” became a Mecca for international ornithologists.
Lawrence was an old woman when Merilyn Simonds moved into the woods not far away. Their paths crossed, sparking Simonds’s lifelong interest. A dedicated birder, Simonds brings her own songbird experiences from Canadian nesting grounds and Mexican wintering grounds to this deeply researched, engaging portrait of a uniquely fascinating woman.