Port Alberni author Karen Poirier’s latest novel, One Thousand Days, follows the footsteps of a young Canadian soldier through his struggles as a prisoner of war and his long march on foot through war-torn Germany to the British lines in 1945, to freedom and home.
The story is about Poirier’s father, who was a member of the Queens Own Cameron Highlanders of Winnipeg, deployed to England in December 1940. His tour of duty in England lasted until August 1942, when he and his fellow Camerons found themselves swept into a devastating and bloody battle on the beaches of Dieppe in northern France. He was captured in the ill-fated raid and imprisoned as a prisoner of war for a total of two and a half years.
One Thousand Days is a story of violent clashes and love. Its hard and soft edges against a background of stirring tension bring the reader through the turbulent years of the Second World War.
“The personal details that make a story come alive were passed to me by my parents,” explained Poirier. “It is in fact their story. My mother lived a long life and during her later years she was a wonderful source of information, both about the war and what life was like in wartime Canada. She had saved journals and letters, and what a treasure trove of information. I have included some in the body of the story to add authenticity and interest.”
Poirier will be the featured reader at the next Electric Mermaid live reading event at Char’s Landing on Wednesday, Jan. 31. Poirier, a well-known visual artist in Port Alberni, has also enjoyed writing poetry and novels in the last 12 years. She started with a poetry class at North Island College with instructor Derek Hanebury, then went on to completing “The Writing Studio” program at Simon Fraser University (SFU) with mentor Stella Harvey in 2019. She also completed the Grad Studies in Creative Writing program at SFU with Aislinn Hunter in 2021. Writing became another medium of expression for Poirier—she says she often sits down to complete a sketch and ends up with a poem.
Her writing credits include her first novel, Across a Prairie Sky, and Ronald and Donald, a children’s book written and illustrated by Poirier. She has written an instructional book on teaching drawing to children, Artworx for Kids. She has also had poems, excerpts and short stories appear in various publications over the last few years.
With new projects constantly on the horizon, Poirier says she is never bored and grateful for the enjoyment of a lifetime of creating.
With host and emcee Derek Hanebury’s literary guidance, Electric Mermaid promises to keep poetry and prose fans engaged. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and the open mic runs from 6-8 p.m. Admission is $10. See www.charslanding.com/events to pre-register for the readers’ list and to select the optional Zoom link.