ESTEVAN — Leora Joy Perrie has always enjoyed writing.
She and her husband Scott formed the Windsome Kind musical duet and released five albums, winning awards for their talent. She is also a published choral composer.
Now she has ventured into writing of another kind.
Pierrie will host a local book launch for Women who Rose from Ashes on Feb. 22 at the Old Stone Inn bed and breakfast in Estevan. Not only will she read from her contribution to Women who Rose from Ashes, but she will answer questions, and desserts, hot chocolate and other refreshments will be served. Winsome Kind will also perform.
Published by Canada’s Sovereign Acres, the book is a collection of true stores from 13 women, each of whom has a different chapter about going through adversity and emerging stronger than ever.
Perrie’s chapter, “Love in the Hurricane,” shares her family’s experiences.
“My chapter is a little bit unique in that it depicts part of my story, and then I’ve also infused it throughout with lyrics from our songs,” said Pirrie.
She shares an experience in which her family was in Mexico for nearly a year in 2021, and later giving birth to a daughter while in the woods of northern Alberta as part of what she called a “massive adventure”.
“It was really beautiful to write,” she said. “Actually, I wrote way too many words and had to cut it down quite drastically, so I may end up writing a larger memoir at some point, because I do love writing and discovered I have a lot to share.”
She wanted to be part of the project after it came to her attention. Perrie thought it was a good opportunity to share their story in a different way, and it reignited her love for writing.
Perrie said she didn’t know any of the other women before working on the book.
“It’s called Women Who Rose from Ashes, so there’s a whole spectrum of experiences. I personally digested one chapter at a time quite slowly, because it was a little bit intense at times," she said. “I’m very proud of how my chapter turned out. It’s right in the middle of the book, and I think it provides a sense of magic and essence that stand out really nicely within all of the chapters.”
While she still hasn’t met the other authors face to face, they have spoken online as a group and with the publishing house.
The Old Stone Inn was selected as the host venue because it is a fabulous site, Perrie said, and owner Laurie Wall is a “wonderful gem” in the community.
“It’s the perfect place to go hang out for the afternoon. It’s intimate. It feels great in there. It’s cozy,” said Perrie.
Her husband has performed at the Old Stone Inn for dinners and other events in the past.
Women who Rose from the Ashes was released in mid-December. It can be found through Amazon and the publisher. Perrie has copies of the book for sale, and she expects she will leave some at the Old Stone Inn. It can also be purchased at LeeWay Mechanical in Oxbow. Libraries in the areas have also been supportive, she said.
Tickets are $25 each and can be purchased on the Old Stone Inn website.
