I’m delighted to unveil this new cover for Wildwood, my novel about a single mother who inherits an abandoned farm. Coming in April 2026, the book can now be preordered at any bookstore.
Welcome to Letters From Windermere, where I write about:
- HISTORY: mostly Western Canada history, but I love it all.
- WRITING: info about my writing and publishing journey.
- BOOKS: I recommend a good book every month.
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New Wildwood Cover
Wildwood tells the story of a single mother from Arizona who inherits an abandoned farm in northern Alberta on condition that she lives there for one year, off the grid. She and her little girl face many challenges, but my heroine is inspired by the journal she finds in the old farmhouse, written by the original homesteader. For more information, visit my inspiration page here: Wildwood.
If you still aren’t sure whether you would like the book, you can read the first few pages here: Wildwood, Chapter One.
The book was first published in 2018 with a different cover. I love this new cover featuring both the lush garden found so often in northern Canada, where the days are sixteen hours long, as well as the beautiful red-winged blackbird. (Note: not all online accounts have updated the new cover yet!)
Wildwood should appeal to readers who enjoyed Finding Flora, which has now been on the national bestseller list for THIRTY-FIVE WEEKS!
My previous two novels have been out of print for a couple of years, but thankfully my new publisher, Simon & Schuster Canada, is republishing them both in 2026. Bird’s Eye View will arrive in November, and I’ll unveil the new cover here as well.
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My Writing Life
We have now moved to our winter home in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. I previously listed ten reasons why we chose this location: Loving Mexico.
However, this year I will not be enjoying the beach or the pool, because this desk is where I’m currently spending my days — hunkered over my laptop computer, working on my new book titled Touching Grass. This novel, set on the southern prairies in 1890, is scheduled for spring 2027 and my deadline is coming up fast!
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My Research
As usual, I am LOVING the historical research more than the actual writing. Here’s one of the most interesting facts I have learned so far.
Did you know there were NO cattle and NO ranchers on the southern Canadian prairies until American cowboys trailed huge herds north for hundreds of miles, from such places as Texas, Wyoming, and Colorado?
In the famous novel Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry, the two main characters drove their cattle from Texas to Montana. In real life many of those herds just kept heading north, drawn by the abundant grass that made the Canadian prairie so appealing.
Some American cowboys liked Canada so much that they claimed land leases from the federal government, and settled down here to form the backbone of Canadian ranching!
Most of the original cattle were native Longhorns, who were both wild and mean. You rarely see them now because they were later bred with Herefords and Shorthorns to produce more docile animals and more tender beef.
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Martha’s Quilt
Here’s a wonderful idea for commemorating your loved one. My elderly friend Martha Christie passed away last year here in Invermere, B.C., and her daughter Carla-Jo organized a memorial at Martha’s house.
After family members took everything they wanted, they put the surplus items in one room and everyone who came to the memorial was urged to take something home that reminded them of Martha. I chose this crazy quilt because I loved the fabric and the colours.
It wasn’t until I got home that I found the date embroidered in one corner. That makes this quilt exactly 120 years old, four days from now!
I called Carla-Jo to make sure that she hadn’t given it away by mistake, and she reassured me. The quilt was made by Martha’s mother, Anna-Marie Herman, a homesteader in Fenn, Alberta. She was a German immigrant who came first to North Dakota and then to Alberta with her husband.
Martha later sewed a replica of the antique quilt for Carla-Jo, and since she didn’t want both of them, she kept the one made by her mother and gave away the original. I want to thank all three generations of women for making this lovely gift possible. I will cherish it.
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Vintage Photo
Readers sometimes send me their historic photos, and I could not resist sharing this one with you because of the expression on this toddler’s face. She is absolutely delighted at the idea of churning butter!
She was Beryl Maitland Dickson (later Beryl Ferguson), daughter of David Dickson and Margaret Maitland Wemyss Dickson, aged two, photographed at the family’s homestead shack built from prairie sod near Wiseton, Saskatchewan in 1910.
For those of you interested in the humble lifestyle described in my novel Finding Flora, I have written four posts about homesteading history:
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BOOK OF THE MONTH
Since January is often a time for new beginnings, this novel is very appropriate. A woman gets on an airplane and walks down the aisle, pointing at each passenger and telling them when and how they will die. Whether the information is believed, and how it changes people’s lives, is the plot of this thrilling story from one of my favourite authors, Australian writer Liane Moriarty.
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Friends, I’m so happy that the new Wildwood cover is completed. Since I’m busy writing, I have stopped accepting book club invitations for now — although I do so with a heavy heart since I love to visit with my readers! I have only a few events planned, and these are listed on my Events page.
Next month I will share photos of my upcoming visit to the famed San Miguel Writers Conference. Perhaps I will meet some of you there!
With all good wishes for the happiest of new years, Elinor
