British Columbia is Inspired, and Inspiring: There’s a BC Book With Your Name on it

Surely the best souvenirs from any vacation are the stories we carry back home. And when it comes to telling a memorable tale, British Columbia quite literally speaks volumes—witness the burgeoning list of acclaimed books that have been inspired by Canada’s western-most province. In the fertile creative ground of BC’s rare beauty, urban energy, and cultural diversity, talented local authors are cultivating wanderlust and wonder with their captivating narratives.

Now, just in time for National Read-a-Book Day on September 6, here are eight great reads that deserve space on your bookshelf. Whether you’re daydreaming about your next getaway or looking for the perfect holiday page-turner, there’s a BC book with your name on it.

For Urbanites

The Glass Hotel

The Glass Hotel, by Emily St. John Mandel

No wonder HBO Max has already announced a TV series based on Emily St. John Mandel’s 2020 novel—the moody settings and painterly prose will undoubtedly translate into stunning visuals. The gripping story explores the dark consequences of unfettered greed, corruption, and self-delusion as the characters—a Madoff-like Ponzi schemer and two estranged siblings—bounce between an isolated hotel off the northern tip of Vancouver Island and the luxurious haunts of wealthy New Yorkers.

The vivid descriptions of the hotel’s remote waterfront location, quiet opulence, and brooding rainforest vibes might trick you into imagining it’s a real place. It’s not—though there are some wonderfully luxurious approximations: Take a look at Tofino’s Wickaninnish Inn or Long Beach Lodge Resort.

The Double Life of Benson Yu

The Double Life of Benson Yu, by Kevin Chong

Kevin Chong’s acclaimed 2023 novel is a concise and complex tale set against the gritty backdrop of a housing project in a Vancouver-inspired Chinatown neighbourhood in the 1980s. In this work of metafiction, the narrator, Benson Yu, is a graphic novelist chronicling the harrowing childhood of 12-year-old Benny Yu—a story that tracks closely with his own much-repressed past. But eventually the fictional story clashes with the narrator’s lived experience, surfacing tormenting truths that ultimately precipitate a healing journey.

For a deeper dive into the Chinese experience in British Columbia, start with a visit to Chinatown’s new Chinese Canadian Museum, followed by dim sum and a stroll through the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden.

For Foodies

100-Mile Diet: A Year of Local Eating

100-Mile Diet: A Year of Local Eating, by Alisa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon

Alisa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon’s best-selling 2007 book about their year-long attempt to consume foods grown within a 100-mile radius of their Vancouver apartment remains a roadmap for ethical eating. Thoughtful and witty, this collection of essays is an aspirational guide for any grocery store regular hungry for a better way. While there are plenty of hurdles to conscious eating, the book offers low-bar solutions: Getting familiar with local farm communities; growing what circumstances allow; and shopping more mindfully.

BC’s restaurants understood the assignment, and now widely feature organic and foraged ingredients along with Ocean Wise seafood. Some of the best locally sourced and seasonally focused menus are found on Vancouver Island: Try Wild Mountain, Part and Parcel, 10 Acres, and The Courtney Room.

Island Eats: Signature chefs’ Recipes from Vancouver Island and the Salish Sea

Island Eats: Signature Chefs’ Recipes from Vancouver Island and the Salish Sea, by Joanne Sasvari and Dawn Postnikoff

Joanne Sasvari and Dawn Postnikoff, arguably two of BC’s most ardent foodies, live and work on Vancouver Island, where the mild climate and fertile soil create the optimal growing conditions that make farm-to-table dining a way of life. The well-connected team tapped the Island’s best chefs to produce a beautifully illustrated cookbook featuring 80+ signature recipes highlighting regionally produced ingredients—everything from truffles to tea, passionfruit to Pinot Noir, and water buffalo to briny oysters.

You could use the book to plan an agritourism adventure from Port Hardy to Victoria, with stops along the way at Tofino, Ucluelet, and the Southern Gulf Islands—or just carry home a copy to inspire the storytelling at your next dinner party.

For Families

Obaasan’s Boots

Obaasan’s Boots, by Janis Bridger and Lara Jean Okihiro

In exploring their own family history, cousins and co-authors Janis Bridger and Lara Jean Okihiro discovered the seeds of this gentle children’s story about a dark chapter in BC’s history. While gardening with their beloved grandmother, two young cousins learn how Japanese-Canadians were interned during the Second World War—stripped of their possessions, separated from family and friends, and forcefully relocated far away from their coastal communities. Ultimately a celebration of resilience, intergenerational relationships, and renewed identity, this award-nominated story is a reminder that history’s lessons must not be forgotten.

To learn more about the history and contributions of Japanese-Canadians in BC, visit the Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site in Steveston, the Historic Joy Kogawa House in Vancouver, and the Nikkei Internment Memorial Centre in New Denver.

Waiting for the Whales

Waiting for the Whales, by Sheryl McFarlane with illustrations by Ron Lightburn

There’s a reason this tender circle-of-life story has endured for more than 30 years. The much-lauded picture book by author Sheryl McFarlane and illustrator Ron Lightburn highlights the healing power of family bonds and the natural environment. An old man lives on a bluff overlooking the sea, his loneliness easing only with the annual return of migrating whales—until the day his daughter appears unexpectedly with a tiny grandchild who gives renewed purpose to his days.

For your own glimpse of whales in the wild—orcas, greys, and humpbacks—be sure to book one of the many whale-watching tours available up and down the west coast, ideally between April and October for the best potential show.

For Nature Lovers

Greenwood

Greenwood, by Michael Christie

The storyline grows like tree rings in Michael Christie’s time-shifting generational saga about a family whose riches and ruin are rooted in the magnificent old-growth forests of British Columbia. The story begins in 2038, as the granddaughter of a former timber magnate confronts the devastating impacts of clear cuts and climate change while guiding privileged eco-tourists through one of the world’s last remaining old-growth forests. Moving backwards through time—and always through trees—her origin story is slowly revealed: A tangled knot of greed, secrets, betrayal, and, ultimately, love.

Guaranteed you’ll walk through BC’s ancient forests with reverence after reading this exhilarating eco-parable: Head for Stanley Park or Pacific Spirit Park in Vancouver, and Cathedral Grove or Pacific Rim National Park Reserve on Vancouver Island.

Monkey Beach

Monkey Beach, by Eden Robinson

Monkey Beach is a remote and astonishingly beautiful shoreline in northern BC—a traditional First Nations shellfish harvesting ground and infamous sasquatch haunt. It is also the mystical setting of Eden Robinson’s bestselling first novel, which weaves Haisla and Heiltsuk spirit lore into a tender and darkly funny story of a feisty teenager’s solo search for her younger brother who has mysteriously vanished at sea.

While the waters that edge the Kitimat-Stikine region can be unforgiving, intrepid boaters are welcome to visit the Bishop Bay-Monkey Beach Conservancy—part of the vast BC Parks system—which protects one of the most popular marine hot springs and anchorages along the Inside Passage. Note: Visiting either the Haisla or Heiltsuk Nations means time spent in smaller communities; it’s important to research when it is best to visit.

Bonus Book Tips:

• Pick up a copy of BC Book World from any local book store or while travelling aboard BC Ferries—you’ll find timely reviews of all the new releases by local authors.
• Check out the BC Ferries gift shops for a well-curated selection of books by BC authors.
• Be sure to stop at the venerable Munro’s Books while visiting Victoria—one of the world’s most beautiful book stores, featuring a huge display of BC books.
• Check out the Vancouver Writers Fest for year-round book-related news and programming, including special events with feature authors and this year’s October festival line-up.