Little German Farm on the Prairie?

If the trials and tribulations of a German farming family settling in Saskatchewan just after it became a province interest you, then this book is a must-read.

Arriving 1909-1919 is a well-written and compelling story by St. Albert’s own Corinne Jeffery. Proving that you’re never too old to make a fresh start on a new path in life, the former nurse and college professor is now an accomplished author.

“This was always my dream,” she emphasized. “I always wanted to be a writer. I obviously put the writing on the back burner.”

Every first-time author has as much of a story behind the book as there is between the covers. Jeffery admits to being no spring chicken but that isn’t stopping her from doing as much as she can to make this moment count.

“I actually signed with my editor the week last year that I turned 65,” she exclaimed. “I was teasing her. I said, ‘How many clients have you signed when they become a senior?’ Not too many.”

Like most overnight successes, she had to work for several years to build up to this moment. It all started in 2002 when she went to the Saskatchewan towns of Lemberg and Neudorf and did a research trip to some of the farms in the area. She started writing the next year.

She calls it a labour of love, a project that actually goes back much further in her lifelong quest to be a bona fide published writer. She was sidetracked by a viable career as a health professional but always kept her dream close to her heart.

On her blog (at www.corinnejeffery.ca) she said that picking up the first copies of Arriving was something that she had waited 60 years to do.

‘Waiting’ probably isn’t exactly the right word. She comes across as a natural storyteller with a real flair for giving characters the right voice. That’s not always an easy task, especially when you aren’t resorting to actually writing in a different language, using dialects or cultural inflections on words or otherwise superficial methods.

Jeffery somehow captures the subtle phrasing of a European settler in such an appropriate way as to give the reader the psychological impression of actually hearing them speak. Tricky business, indeed. To wit, this example from a character named Phillip as he responds to his wife, Margareta:

“Well, it seems to me that, once again, you have worked out all the details. I’m not sure where I fit into the picture. If you want my approval, I think that it is a very sound idea. I have a strong hunch that Gustav has ambitions to be successful, and he will need to be educated in the English language.”

But there’s more to putting together an interesting book than just that. Taking a page from the Dan Brown school of writing, Jeffery gives readers the ability to breeze through short chapters usually less than five pages, some as brief as a single page. You can expect more than 170 chapters in total as the book comes close to the 400-page mark.

The sequels, she added, are about the same length. Bear in mind that it isn’t all about milking cows and plowing fields. Life was rough back in those times and she promises that there are some sensitive subjects that she delves into like abuse and sexuality. She just wanted it to be as authentic as she could. That’s one of the reasons why she just kept on writing instead of getting Arriving out years ago.

“When I realized it was going to be so comprehensive, I chose to not go ahead with working on getting book one published. To have persisted for eight years, I’m happy to have it come to fruition.”

Parts 2 and 3 in the series are already written, she says, and she anticipates publication of each in the fall of 2012 and 2013 respectively. Jeffery admitted that she only intended on completing the story within a single volume except that she got wrapped up in the characters’ lives and she kept on writing.

The book is already on sale at The Bookstore on Perron and will pop up in Edmonton booksellers after its launch party at Audrey’s Books this Saturday. Greenwoods Bookshoppe, now back on Whyte Avenue, will also carry it on its shelves. Other events are in the works over the next few weeks at the Bacchus CafĂ© and Wine Bar.

For now, Arriving 1909-1919 is available for sale online at either www.corinnejeffery.ca or www.understandingursula.com. You can also pick it up at the St. Albert Public Library. Jeffery hopes to have it stocked at the Edmonton Public Library soon.