The book club had a fabulous evening with author Lisa Brown.  The group enjoyed reading A Casualty of Grace and learning more about the history of British Home Children.  The book describes local landmarks in the Hamilton and Waterdown areas as they were in the early 1800s.

It was interesting to learn that Lisa had not planned to be a writer but when researching family secrets that had impacted generations of women in her family decided to incorporate parts of her family story into a novels (The Porter’s Wife).  Her search for knowledge not only led to a new understanding of her family but also a second novel (The Seeds of Sorrow).  She incorporated her family anecdotes with fictional characters to form novels appropriate for all ages.

“you write what you know”

It was interesting to learn about Lisa’s self-publishing experience which maintained creative license and autonomy.  Unlike publishers, she had control over the editing process, the title and even the cover art.  Her books are available in local Watertown bookstores and online at the larger booksellers.  She brought copies of her other books and the group appreciated buying signed copies.

Lisa was very open to questions and we were very appreciative to a lovely evening of book discussion!