From left to right: Lorna Boryski (author), BrendaLee Pellerin (PA Safe Shelter for Women), Cathy Coles (author), Sandra Hainstock (author), Sandra Zelensky (founding member of WOW and Sandra's Framing Gallery). (Submitted photo/BrendaLee Pellerin)

By Nigel Maxwell

Personal stories

P.A group raises money for women’s shelter through release of new book

Jan 23, 2024 | 2:00 PM

Over a year has passed since Prince Albert’s Lorna Boryski first raised the idea of creating a collection of women’s stories and donating the proceeds to the local women’s shelter.

Hard copies of Patchwork were in her hands last December, and a book signing event was held in Prince Albert last Saturday at Sandra’s Framing Gallery. Reflecting back on all the work done to collect the stories, and the learning process of getting a book published, Boryski acknowledged for paNOW she had no idea what to expect.

“It’s been like crazy,” she explained.

The book, which represents a unique fundraising idea by Women of Wonder (W.O.W), features 22 chapters and each chapter is a story from a different contributor who represent various corners of the province. There were also a couple submissions from women living in the United States.

The stories themselves are raw and uncut, and are as different as the women themselves, discussing life experience such as feelings of unease on a morning walk, the trauma of rape, overcoming disabilities, or the loss of a loved one. Boryski confirmed it was important to her the contributors get to tell their stories in their own words.

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“There’s a few who actually went to counselling once they started writing because they realized they weren’t over the trauma,” she said. “And that’s kinda what what the book is all about; it’s about helping yourself by writing it.”

Proceeds from the book sales will go to help the Prince Albert Women’s Shelter. (Facebook)

Noting there were a few people who asked for someone else to write it, Boryski said she told them the book was not about that, and was about the freeing of stories from yourself and to others.

“It was a real interesting journey to see now how it plays out in peoples’ lives and you know something so personal to them for them, just to lay it all out, is pretty cool”

Cathy Coles is one of the book’s contributors and acknowledged it was very difficult writing her story.

“I had very recently lost my husband. I cried through the whole writing of it. It brought back many memories of all the emergency trips to hospital and not knowing if or when I could be a single mom.”

Coles added one of the challenges was condensing 40 some years into a short story,

“Through it all I found it quite healing as it also made me think of the good things in our life together,” she said.

Copies of the book are available through Amazon. There’s also copies available through the Women of Wonder Facebook group and as of this week, almost $500 was raised.

BrendaLee Pellerin was at the book signing and acting as the shelter’s representative said it was awesome seeing people coming in and wanting to purchase the book.

“We are so grateful for all the generous donations and time that people spent on doing this for the shelter and thinking of us and our ladies. It’s so overwhelmingly appreciated.”

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nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On X: @nigelmaxwell