Valiant Be

Valiant Be is a remarkable memoir of pain and resilience, and a gripping history of a family that is at once dysfunctional and deeply loving. Heather’s earliest memories revolved around her parents’ purchase and refurbishment of a gristmill beside the Don River, on the outskirts of Toronto. As World War 2 raged, so did tensions at home; Heather’s father was a passionate artist with a mercurial temper, and her mother was a writer who wrote and published a book about their marriage. Although Heather’s young life was chaotic, she learned resourcefulness from her parents, and never doubted their care.

Then, at the age of four, Heather experienced a deeply traumatic incident that would change her forever and lead her to spend fifteen years in therapy for complex post-traumatic stress disorder. Still, her courage never wavered.

Told through a series of vignettes, this vibrant collection of stories follows the author through childhood, university, marriage, mothering, teaching, and working as a calligrapher. Tender, revelatory, and always full of humour, this book is both a valuable time capsule and a fascinating look at how drastically the world can change in a single lifetime.