BC Books Online was created for anyone interested in BC-published books, and with librarians especially in mind. We'd like to make it easy for library staff to learn about books from BC publishers - both new releases and backlist titles - so you can inform your patrons and keep your collections up to date.
Our site features print books and ebooks - both new releases and backlist titles - all of which are available to order through regular trade channels. Browse our subject categories to find books of interest or create and export lists by category to cross-reference with your library's current collection.
A quick tip: When reviewing the "Browse by Category" listings, please note that these are based on standardized BISAC Subject Codes supplied by the books' publishers. You will find additional selections, grouped by theme or region, in our "BC Reading Lists."
These Canadian war bride stories recount one of the great untold epics of World War II. Approximately 48,000 British and European women married Canadian servicemen during the war and made the adventurous crossing from "blackouts to bright lights." In time for the 50th anniversary of the end of war, Barbara Ladouceur and Phyllis Spence interviewed over thirty war brides and recorded their individual stories.
Barbara Ladouceur earned a BA in English and Women's Studies at the University of Victoria in 1989. She then travelled to York, England to study women's life writings in the Women's Studies programme at the University of York. In 1990, she graduated with an MA in Women's Studies and returned to Canada. She now resides in Vancouver where she works as an ESL teacher and freelance editor. Phyllis Spence studied sociology and psychology at the University of Victoria, graduating in 1989. While at university, she and Barbara Ladouceur became interested in oral histories and this eventually led to their collaboration in the bestseller, Blackouts to Bright Lights: Canadian War Bride Stories (1995). Phyllis currently works in a hospital staffing department and an evening program for seniors in Victoria.