Boswell resident Luanne Armstrong’s memoir, The Light Through the Trees: Reflections on Land and Farming (Caitlin Press), has been shortlisted for the Hubert Evans Non-Fiction Prize, one of seven prizes presented annually to B.C. authors and publishers at the Lieutenant Governor’s BC Book Prizes Gala.
Armstrong, MFA, PhD, is the author of 14 books, and she has worked as a feminist researcher, a freelance journalist and a writing instructor. The Light Through the Trees is a deeply wise reflection on land, farming, a sense of place, connecting with nature and what it means to live on this earth.
Nikki Tate Stratton of CBC’s All Points West says, “The questions Armstrong raises are those we all need to think about: How are we living on this planet, what does the word ‘wilderness’ mean today, and what should our relationship be to the land? Those issue are all relevant regardless of whether we live on a farm or in a suburb or in a highrise.”
As a third-generation farmer, the author has roots deep in the land but her work also captures her thoughts on such current issues as the environment, environmental identity and animal ethics. Her writing is poetic, lyrical and engaging. Part farmer, part poet, part activist, Armstrong engages her readers through her fascination and close involvement with both the natural and the human worlds.
The recipients of this year’s BC Book Prizes will be announced on May 4, during the 29th annual Lieutenant Governor’s BC Book Prizes Gala at Government House in Victoria.
—CAITLIN PRESS