Verena Berger took a big chance when she left her homeland of Switzerland to marry the man she loved in Canada — well actually, in Alaska.
The story about why Verena and her husband Willie decided to marry in Barrow, Alaska because it was “at the end of the world” is just one of many delightfully entertaining stories that Verena has published in her first book Kool-Aid and Cariboo Stew.
The title is a word play on the Cariboo where Willie and Verena chose to make their lives after a short time living in Vancouver, and the caribou stew they ate at their wedding washed down with Kool-Aid since Barrow was a dry town when they wed.
Verena’s book is a compilation of the many stories, plus a few new ones, that she has written and had published over the years in magazines such as Canadian Living, Daytripping, The Immigrant, in newspapers and read on CBC since becoming a bon afide “writer” more than 10 years ago.
One might say bon afide, because in one of her stories Verena talks about the joy she took in being a stay-at-home wife and mother, but how she felt rejected by people who would ask what she did for a living and would ultimately drift away when she tried to explain.
While she has had many stories rejected by publishers, she says there are no explanations required these days when she can respond to people who ask that she is simply a writer.
The book paints a wonderful portrait of the modern day pioneer spirit as the young couple elatedly experiences the thrill of buying their own land, which would have been impossible for them in Switzerland, clear land, plant gardens, raise farm animals, drill wells that go dry, and ultimately start their family.
Verena describes her stories in the book as creative non-fiction. In other words she may have taken a few liberties in creating a well-rounded story for her readers.
“It’s the way I choose to remember things,” explains Verena, who learned English as a third language (Swiss, German and French are first) when she came to Canada in 1979, and now teaches English creative writing workshops.
She has always enjoyed writing but it wasn’t until after their children Oliver and Melanie were grown and on their own that Verena decided to take writing seriously, starting with a workshop in Wells.
Since then she has taken many writing workshops, attended many writing conventions and gets inspiration, feedback and encouragement from her book club and her writer friends Anne Walsh and Donna Milner.
In her workshops she shares what she has learned about character development, the story arch and how to keep the tension in a story, how to introduce a sub plot, find balance between dialogue, actions and description, etc.
“I have always been a very shy person but what tipped the scale for me is the excitement to talk about writing is bigger than my fear,” Verena says.
I love writing and everything that goes with it.”
She says one of the great Canadian writers she takes inspiration from is Margaret Atwood.
“She is very opinionated, but she has a right to be,” Verena says. “She is very intelligent.”
Verena says the first book she pulled out of the shelves when a friend introduced her to a library in Vancouver was written by Margaret Atwood.
Struggling to understand English at the time, she says she couldn’t understand what Atwood was saying, but made it a goal in her life to understand her writing.
In an ironic twist of fate, Verena says she and her mother were visiting Toronto and happened to sit down beside Atwood on the subway.
Her mother sat right next to Atwood. Verena says she caught Atwood’s eye and new by her smile that she understood she had been recognized.
Verena said she didn’t want to disturb her by talking to her but as Atwood was getting up to leave she couldn’t help but blurt out “I love your books,” to which she says Atwood replied, “Thank you.”
“I told my mother she couldn’t wash her blouse because Margaret Atwood had touched it.”
While their whole family loves the outdoors, winter sports, travelling and visiting family in Europe, Verena says she and Willie feel a great sense of joy when they return to the Cariboo and Canada.
“We love driving across Canada,” Verena says.
Verena will read from and sign copies of her book at the Open Book Thursday evening, Feb. 9 starting at 7 p.m.