Alberta author explores Canada and motherhood with memoir Confederation Drive

Edmonton author Janice MacDonaldis best known as the creator of the Randy Craig Mysteries a six-novel series following the adventures ofa universityEnglishinstructor with a knack for finding murder and trouble wherever she goes.

MacDonaldtook a departure from Craig for her latest work, decidinginstead to take a trip through her own childhood and across Canada to crafther memoir,Confederation Drive.

Daybreak Alberta host Russell Bowers sat down withDaybreak's resident bookworm and author Angie Abdouto talk aboutthememoir, exploringfamilial ties across generations while questioningwhat it means to beCanadian.

The following is an excerpt from that interview:

Q: Janice normally does mysteries how is this book different?

A: She's remembering a trip she took with her mother to Expo 67, driving across the country to get there.

And then she takesthe same trip with her husband 50 years later, so it's a road trip memoir of two road trips.

Q: This year is the 50th anniversary of Expo 67. What else ties us into that nostalgia there?

A:Janice realizes she thinks about that trip almosteveryday and she wants to understand why that drive across Canada meant so much to her and why Expo [67] meant so much to her.

So the chance to do it on the 50th anniversary with her husbandand write a book while she's doing it gives her the opportunity to reflect.

Q: Does the 50 years worth of change tothe countryreflect the change in her own life?

A:Her memory is fluid and she doesn't always mayberemember things the way they are,
so there's that kind of change there's a nostalgic, idealized version of something versus the real version.

And the changes, Iwon't give it away ... but in the afterword she has kind of a call to action for Canadians, almost.

So it's not only a book of reflection of motherhood and Expos and cross-Canada trips, but kind of what it even means to be Canadian. What it used to mean, what it means now, what it could mean.

Q: How does MacDonaldbecoming a parent change how she remembers her own experiences growing up?

A: You think you have an idea about your parents and the kind of job they did, and once you have kids it's quite a bit different than it looks from the outside. So you have a new understanding of your parents

Q: What did you take away from Confederation Drive?

A: It reminded me of what all good memoirs remind me of ... is that readers want in behind the scenes.

We do so much posing in our life right now. We have the Facebook version of our life and it's very heavily Photoshopped...and we don't talk about vulnerability or fear or anxiety or less pleasant things.

And someone said to write well you have to be willing to embarrass yourself, because you're letting down that guard and you're making yourself really vulnerable. So those are the sections Ilike in any memoir.

A list of MacDonald's works, includingConfederation Drive, can be found on her website.

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With files from Daybreak Alberta