Postcards from Huron County reading list

By Mandy Sinclair

With the holidays around the corner and the promise of longer days on the way, here at the Postcards from Huron County podcast HQ, I'm preparing for peak cozy season. And it wouldn't be cozy season without piles of vintage wool blankets made once upon a time in Benmiller (from where my Mom hails), perfectly scented candles from Olive & Rose, and a good book or podcast for whiling away the hours.

In our latest blog post, we're sharing some of our favourite reads to accompany recent Postcards from Huron County episodes.

The Northwest is our Mother by Jean Teillet

In season one, Jenna McGuire made reference to Métis land ownership and the fact that access is based on whether it's privately owned or not. The comment stopped me, as I'd never thought about this part of Métis heritage. While travelling in the Canadian Prairies this summer, I grabbed a copy of The

Northwest is our Mother, a fantastic read that takes an in-depth look at the Métis struggle to establish a homeland.

Written by Indigenous-rights lawyer and Louis Riel's great-nice, Jean Teillet, this book brings the realities of the Métis people to life on the pages, covering centuries of history and struggle up to present day.

It is certainly not your bog-standard boring history book. Grab a copy and you'll soon understand why.

The Forgotten Home Child by Genevieve Graham

In the first season of Postcards from Huron County, Sinead Cox, a descendent of a British Home Child in Huron County, shared her family's history and the general history of Home Children in Canada (she does work at the museum after all). One of my favourite historical fiction writers, Genevieve Graham wrote a page-turner called The Forgotten Home Child on the topic. I couldn't put it down. While fiction, she touches on true e

motions that these children surely felt while navigating their way through their new homelands, alone.

Grab a copy from your local bookstore or Huron County Library.

Bluebell by Genevieve Graham

Also in season one, David Yates spoke about the prohibition era in Huron County, one of the last counties to abolish the law in 1959. Once again, Genevieve Graham wrote about this topic in her latest release - Bluebell.

Telling the story of returning to the Windsor, Ontario area post war and the booming alcohol trade in this border town, there's reference to the temperance movement, the violence and wealth accumulated, and of course a tragedy.

Grab a copy from your local bookstore or Huron County Library.

The Hands that Feed Us

I fell in love with short documentaries while managing the international press office and professional relations during the sixth edition of the Marrakech Biennale, and now they are often one of my favourite part of an exhibition. So, if you enjoyed hearing Robert Walker, Errol Bailey and Hopeton Johnson share tales about life between Jamaica and Blyth, Ontario, and joined by Susan Hubbard, watch The Hands that Feed Us by The New Canadian Centre on YouTube.

If you've missed an episode or want to listen to an episode again, tune in to Postcards from Huron County on your favourite podcast app.