Books

 

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Kyenna’s Sleepy Little Foot $20

Kyenna’s Sleepy Little Foot is a light-hearted story that was inspired by Marie’s granddaughter, Kyenna, when she was 8 years old. Marie and her husband, Darcy, had travelled from Saskatchewan to British Columbia for Kyenna and Piper’s dance recital. One morning Kyenna came hopping down the stairs on one foot. When Marie (her Mom Mom) asked her what happened, she replied, “Oh, Mom Mom, I have a sleepy little foot.” The whimsical story in this book followed.
The book also seeks to honour Kyenna’s best friend, Emily Kern, who passed away in 2018 at thee age of 11.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Together Forever In The Clouds $40

($40 Shipping & Handling Included)



Marie wrote about the tragedy that claimed the lives of 21 brave young airmen in the 25th and final novel in her series, The Other Side Of Reunion. However, she soon realized these brave men needed a book of their own. Lester Hinzman had commissioned Darren Jones to sculpt the monument known as, Forever In the Clouds, and now it was time for a book to complement the sculpture. It took a few years to locate all 21 families but miraces do happen and all were found with the assistance of her research team. Marie wrote each chapter with the voluminous data found on each airman. Then she sent her chapter draft to the repective family member and asked for their input. They were the ones who brought their loved ones to life. This book is their story. And our story.

 

Featured on CTV National news.
www.ctvnews.ca/ctv-national-news

 

 

 

 

The Other Side of War $20

“It was by way of Eddie that we were to be fed,” said the dignified silver haired lady to my Mother. Mom had gone to Germany to finally meet ‘the family’ whom Dad had so fondly spoken of upon his return to Canada more than a year after WWII ended.

The story’s main characters are Eddie and Johann. All of the characters are based on actual people though many of the names have been changed. Eddie, my father, was stationed in Leer, Germany from July 1945 – July 1946. Immediately after his arrival in the enemy country he met ten-year-old Johann. Eddie soon became involved in helping Johann’s family survive in the aftermath of the war. He did what our current day soldiers are attempting to do in Afghanistan; he helped them rebuild their lives.

Eddie, through example, taught his army buddies that the Schmidt family was no different than their own families were back home. Shorty was anti-Nazi to his very core but as the story unfolds we see that the delightfully humorous character, Johann, can reform even a hard core Nazi hater.

This touching tale serves to illustrate the other side of war from the perspective of a Canadian soldier and a German family. We see the hardships faced by the Schmidt family, who was against the war from the start. However, in the words of the only surviving member of the family, they were helpless to stop the powerful Hitler in his quest to rule the world. The people of Germany initially elected Hitler to power in 1933 because of his promises of an improved economy in impoverished Germany.  The common folk of Germany had no idea what the future held for them. This story reveals the helplessness the people felt as well as the total lack of control they had over their own lives.

The story also challenges a number of stereotypes and assumptions about the German people. It works to highlight the best in humanity as Eddie and the Schmidt family, who are virtually enemies, develop a close and strong relationship based on mutual respect and friendship. 

 

The Other Side of Fear $20

Eddie’s relationship with the Schmidt family continues. Eddie sees and feels the powerful fears the family faces every day of their lives. This first sequel to The Other Side of War is filled with tension as the family is plagued by signs of a return of the Polish element. We learn more about the time when the Polish officers who had occupied the Schmidt home during the war. Their home had become headquarters for the allied officers forcing the family to live in a hole in the ground in their own backyard. They went to great lengths to avoid detection by these brutal officers. The German Gestapo had tortured the people of Poland thereby causing the Polish to want to seek revenge on the German people. The Schmidt family never supported Hitler but that was of no interest to the Polish. A German was a German.

Eddie, however, didn’t see it that way. He, and eventually most members of his battalion, saw the Schmidt family for what they were: just ordinary people like the rest of us. The Canadians take an active part in the drama that unfolds but there is an unlikely hero who saves the lives of the Canadians in Eddie’s regiment.  

 

 

 

 

The Other Side of Pain $20

This third novel remains set in Germany and follows the characters we’ve come to know and appreciate in the first two books. One of the family members finally arrives home from the war. The German soldiers marched through country after country to arrive home. They were often in deplorable physical condition. We witness the pain the family endured as they deal with a common reality of war: amputation.

We also learn that the Polish are still attempting to retrieve incriminating evidence left behind in the Schmidt home. Eddie is soon embroiled in a rescue mission for which he has very little training. He is, like his army mates, a mechanic. However, he would do anything it takes to protect the Schmidt family and to help them deal with their pain.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Other Side of Trauma $20

It was known as shell shock during WWII. Today we call it post traumatic stress disorder. Society accepts and readily treats PTSD today. However, in the 1940’s, it was a different matter. Victims were deemed by society to be cowards. It was believed that those stricken with the disorder were just trying to avoid doing their duty. When one of the members of the Schmidt family arrives home with a severe case of shell shock Eddie and his buddies work diligently to assist the family as they struggle to overcome yet another blow. Just how much can one family take?

New techniques, unorthodox techniques in the 1940’s are used to treat the victim in this novel.

Eddie’s desperate loneliness for his wife and three little sons back home becomes more evident as time passes. Letters between his family and himself take months to arrive. He is missing out on his little son’s lives. He has not even met Edmond. The army gives no indication as to the duration of Eddie’s absence from home. He fears his children are growing up without even knowing their daddy. He puts on a brave front but his increasing loneliness is becoming more and more evident. It isn’t just the Schmidt family who is suffering. Eddie is suffering too.

 

 

 

 

The Other Side of Torn $20

This fifth novel in the other side series is the last one to be set in Germany. Early in the story Eddie must make a major decision. He is not privy to the knowledge of just how much longer he will be serving overseas. This critical decision will have a tremendous impact on both families. Knowledge of how much longer he would be in the army would have made his decision less stressful. Who does he put first – his family back home or the German family? He makes the right decision.

This novel reveals the emotional tearing Eddie feels as his tour of duty comes to an end. He will be leaving the Schmidt family vulnerable to further atrocities. He is torn between two worlds. But then he is in the Canadian army and you have no choice but to follow your orders. When he receives his marching papers he is both excited to go back home and fearful for the Schmidt family. We get a glimpse of what it’s like to be on the other side of torn.

 

 

 

 

 

The Other Side of Rebellion $20

The Other Side of Rebellion is a dramatic account of the rebellious faction in Germany who still harboured hope that their leader, Hitler, was alive and would return to Germany. They believed they would triumph over the Allies and regain control over Germany.

Earl is still missing. The family is in grave danger. So are Eddie and the others in his regiment. Allied reinforcements are brought in to try to nip the rebellion in the bud. We meet Herr Keller who can seemingly vanish into thin air.

In the meantime, Ed’s wife, Frances, is trying to raise their three little boys back home. One of her challenges, besides being a single parent, is that she must deal with a shell shocked family member.

The Other Side of Rebellion has the reader on the edge of their seats. Like the preceding novels, you will not want to put this sixth book in The Other Side Series down.

 

 

 

 

The Other Side of Capture $20

The Other Side of Capture is the seventh novel in The Other Side series. The rebel leader is still at large. The Canadian army is determined to capture him and rescue his captives. A woman’s hand drops an envelope, addressed to Frau Berg, in front of Eddie and Shorty. Frustration builds as Frau Berg refuses to reveal critical information that would facilitate the capture of the rebel leader. In the meantime, Ed’s wife, Frances, is dealing with an accident involving one of their little sons. She needs her husband but currently he is available to no one.

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

The Other Side of Rescue $20

The Other Side of Rescue is the eighth novel in the Other Side series. The tension continues to build beginning on Valentine’s Day, 1946. Johann’s devotion to Eddie is palpable. He fears that he might lose his mentor and best friend forever. And he may be right. Johann and Earl had pulled Eddie out of the water in that canal in Germany but now Eddie’s fate is terribly uncertain. Johann is helpless once again.

This eighth novel poses many questions. Will the rebel leader finally be captured? What has happened to Herr Keller? Who is driving Sarge’s jeep? Will Frau Berg ever settle down? She laments incessantly - “Oh, Frau Schmidt, whatever am I to do?”

On the Canadian front, Eddie’s wife has learned some unsettling news from Doctor Jones. Will she be able to handle this new stressor and deal with their three little boys without her husband’s support? Or is she near the breaking point with no indication if, or when, her husband will ever return to the family. Her fears are well founded because right now her husband Ed, fondly known as Eddie to the German family, is available to no one.

 

 

 


The Other Side of Devotion $20

The Other Side of Devotion is the ninth book in the Other Side Series. There is much dissention at the Canadian barracks. The mission team leader has caused a great deal of friction between his team and Eddie’s regiment. There are fences to mend.

Eddie’s decision to disobey a direct order from the army when he decided to help Johann and his family may lead to severe consequences for him. The family and his fellow soldiers rally around Eddie during these tough times.

This latest novel relates the true story of another Saskatchewan soldier and his experience when he was wounded in Belgium. It highlights the goodness of the German soldiers during the war.

Ed’s wife, Frances, must deal with the pain of one of her injured children. She is awakened in the middle of the night and makes a critical error in medicating her little child.

Frau Berg finally learns of the fate of her friend, Herr Keller. She must make a heart-wrenching decision. Oh, what should she do?

 

 

 

The Other Side of Starvation $20

The Other Side of Starvation is the tenth book in the Other Side series. It serves to reveal the stark reality of life in Germany in the aftermath of the Second World War. Millions of people died of starvation in Germany, as well as in other countries. However, there was a distinct difference between the reasons for these deaths. The Other Side of Starvation exposes the horrific role the Allies played in the plight of the starving people of Germany. We come to understand and appreciate the gravity of the decision made by one soldier, the author’s father, to stand tall and do the right thing. He did so knowing he could face a court-martial. He was prepared to go to jail if necessary. He simply could not stand by and watch a little boy and his family starve to death.
Meanwhile, Johann’s family’s stash is rapidly dwindling—there is a thief in the area. Who could it be? Will this culprit ever be apprehended? And just who is behind that mask?

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Other Side of Liberation $20

The Other Side of Liberation , the 11th book in the Other Side series, explores the plight of children whose families perished before their eyes. Who was left to care for these orphans? Our hearts break as their struggles are gently brought to light.

This novel also recounts the relationship between a little Dutch boy (Jack Van Vaals) and a Canadian soldier (Clifford Schnell) during the liberation of the Netherlands. Several decades later the Van Vaals family found Clifford. The families remain friends to this day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Other Side of Courage $20

The Other Side Of Courage is the 12th book in the series. This novel heightens the reader’s awareness of the plight of the orphaned children in Germany in the aftermath of the second World War. We come to know a 7-year-old girl who has much to teach us; listen carefully to Rachel's words of wisdom. Her life has been horrific yet she still knows how to trust.

Johann’s shell-shocked brother, Arthur, is still missing. Surely we will hear news of him soon-or will we?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Other Side of Commitment $20

The 13th book in the Other Side series is entitled, The Other Side Of Commitment. The cover of the book features the author’s mother’s wedding rings – a genuine symbol of her parents unwavering commitment to each other.

A day at the markets highlights the utter desperation felt by the folks in Germany. The bartering value of one chocolate bar in post World War Two Germany is phenomenal.

Ed attends another wedding, which ends with an overwhelming surprise for someone.
What does the future hold for the German family, the Canadian soldiers and their families back home? Life is difficult but it’s the uncertainties that intensify the stress. Johann would remind us to think positive thoughts.

 

 

 

 

 

The Other Side of Isolation $20

The Other Side Of Isolation is the fourteenth book in the Other Side series. Tempers are flaring at the Canadian barracks as time drags on overseas. The men are feeling isolated from their families and the world. They have very little access to news of the outside world. This is incomprehensible to us as we live in a society whereby we have instant access to information literally at our fingertips. The soldiers wonder where the music gone to in their lives.

Suspense is heightened when a man is discovered lying on the ground behind the Canadian barracks close to the cross that marks the children’s grave. Johann’s puppy, Hundy, races over to the empty children’s sleeping car and does something he never does – he barks. We soon discover what has the little puppy so upset.

We learn details of a couple of the thwarted attempts on Adolf Hitler's life. It is truly uncanny how this madman seemed to sense imminent danger in each case. This begs the question: How would the world be different if one of these early attempts to assassinate Hitler would have been successful?


 

 

 

The Other Side of Guilt $20

The fifteenth book in the Other Side series addresses the issue of guilt. So much has happened in the last 24 hours that Johann feels like his world is caving in on him. He needs Eddie to comfort him but someone else needs him even more.

Some people are overcome with feelings of guilt. It takes a child to ease their troubled minds. This little girl warms our hearts with her innocence and her infinite wisdom.

Meanwhile, back in Saskatchewan, Ed’s wife, Frances, discovers a shocking reality about her four-year-old son’s sense of burden.


 

 

 

 

 

The Other Side of Trepidation $20

The Other Side Of Trepidation is the sixteenth novel in the Other Side series. Sarge has a surprise visitor who brings him unsettling news, especially in light of the lengthy absence of Ed and five of his fellow soldiers. They had only gone to find a little girl. That shouldn’t have posed a problem—should it?

Ed’s wife, Frances, is struggling on her own to provide the bare necessities for her family. Broken eggs equate to a broken spirit. Will she have to swallow her pride?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Other Side of Trust $20

The Other Side Of Trust is the seventeenth novel in the Other Side series. This action packed novel centers around the matter of trust. The General has arrived at the railway car barracks and must determine who is trustworthy. To make matters worse, two of his soldiers have gone missing. The search for these men results in a surprising twist.

Ed’s wife, Frances is facing an unsettling dilemma. She needs to confer with her husband but that is only possible with pen and paper. She fears the decision she must make in his absence will cause her and her sons grief – no matter which choice she makes.

Radio Interview

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Other Side of Deception $20

The Other Side Of Diception is the eighteenth novel in the Other Side series. The Canadians and their friends have been deceived once. Surely it won’t happen a second time. Or will it?
Johann goes on his first journey outside of his own city. He has his hands full with Shorty and his short fuse when things go awry. Can Johann settle him down in Eddie’s absence?
Ed’s wife, Frances realizes she must find a way to gain control over her strong-minded little boy before it’s too late.



 

 

 

 

 

 

The Other Side of Distraught $20

 

Someone is no longer safe in her homeland due to the heating up of the Cold War. She must flee. Her husband is distraught and considers doing the unthinkable. Hopefully his actions provoke the readers to fathom the depth of the sacrifices made by those who serve us.

Frances’s life has become just slightly easier but at what cost?



 

 

 

 

 

 

The Other Side of Turmoil $20

Who is preventing Earl’s wife from receiving a boarding pass to sail to Canada? Ed, his friends and their General are determined to find the answer. But what if the problem lies with Immigration Canada? Can a group of mechanics challenge this powerful organization and win?
The brutality of war did not end with the signing of the Peace Treaty. Sharon meets someone who brings the harshness of life after the war to the forefront.
George is under a tremendous amount of stress. Ed is worried sick about him.



 

 

 

 

 

 

The Other Side Of Adventure $20

 

The Other Side Of Adventure is the 21st book in the Other Side series. Was it an adventure or a nightmare she was embarking upon? She had never been so alone—not even during the horrible war that had just ended.

Ed is helpless to stop his brother, back in Canada, from putting Frances in an impossible situation.

Who stole Ed’s notes on the vehicle reparations in Germany? Why would anybody even want them? Will Karla agree to start the process to move to Canada?



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Other Side Of Stranded $20

 

The Other Side Of Stranded is the twenty-second novel in the Other Side series. What is happening at Pier 21 in Halifax? Will prejudice prevail? The Captain of the Letitia has no authority at Pier 21 but he demands to have the issue resolved. Will Sharon’s war bride friends be forced to leave her behind?
Ed is receiving hints but he does not feel he can share them with his wife. In the meantime his wife, Frances feels she needs Ed by her side now more than ever. She wonders how much longer she can manage without him.
Johann realizes he must face the powerful fear he continues to have of his brother.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Other Side Of Tension $20

 

The Other Side Of Tension is the twenty-third novel in the Other Side series. Tensions escalate for the Canadians because of one cold-hearted person. Ed and his friends, therefore, dare not spend time with Johann, Karla and the others they’ve become so close to. Finally Ed reaches his breaking point and stands up to this superior officer. What will the consequences be for him? Will he be transferred to another troop? Will he be kept in Germany and away from his wife and three little boys indefinitely?



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Other Side Of Farewell $20

 

The Other Side Of Farewell is the twenty-fourth book in the Other Side series. Pain and sadness shrouds the lives of Ed, Shorty and the German family. A note in his dresser drawer starkly reveals Shorty’s chaotic state of mind. His friends desperately want to help him but they can’t figure out how. Shorty isn’t the only one nearing his breaking point. George and Earl are shocked by Ed’s reaction to his unbearable sadness and they beg him not to do it. Meanwhile, back in Canada, the excitement is building as Frances receives a delightful and surprising birthday gift.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Other Side Of Reunion $20

 

Johann doesn’t know how to find the joy in life in Eddie’s absence. His world is shrouded in sadness. There is only one place he can go to in order to find even a shred of comfort. But then the Polish return reigniting terror within him and his family. Ed is finally home with Frances and their three little boys so why is he feeling so deatached from life? What can he do to reclaim his life? Who can he talk to? Just when he begins to feel a sense of normalcy, devastating news about a plane crash near Estevan, Saskatchewan sends him into a downward emotional spiral.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Little Miss Muffet Isn't Frightened Anymore $15

Little Miss Muffet Isn’t Frightened Anymore combines two elements beloved by children: rhythm and rhyme. Miss Muffet is a favourite nursery rhyme character for most of us. She was left in limbo centuries ago as she ran away from the spider without facing her fear. She has finally returned to help us learn from this colossal mistake.

The illustrations, by artist Jacqueline McClement, are insightful and delightful. Children and adults alike are engaged by the details of the illustrations. Each page offers opportunities for teachable moments. This children's picture book brings smiles to the faces of readers of all ages.

 

 

Little Luella Ladybug Doesn’t Give Up $15

Little Luella Ladybug Doesn’t Give Up was written by Marie Donais Calder early one morning. The storyline came to her as she was planning a unit on insects for her kindergarten class. Barely one hour later Marie was fighting for her life. She had gone into anaphylactic shock. She had to fight to survive. Several hours passed without conscious thought but when Marie was able to think again, this story flooded her mind. Like Luella, she didn’t give up. Marie’s recovery from this incident was painfully slow. She was not able to teach for almost a full year. When she did return to work, it was on a half time basis. She worked one day and spent the next day in bed. This went on for years. Her eyesight deteriorated and she later became blind. However, in spite of this, she went on to write more children’s stories as well as 25 novels in the Other Side series, which are set in Germany immediately following World War Two. Everyone faces challenges in their lives. It’s not so much the challenges we face that define us but rather how we deal with them. Luella serves to offer us hope that we can overcome almost anything if we set our minds to it. Little Luella Ladybug Doesn’t Give Up reminds us that there is always a solution to our life struggles. We just have to stop and think for a while. Then we have to formulate a plan so we can work out our problems as fast as we can.


 


 

 

 


Subsequent novels in the Other Side series will be set in Canada. They are in the process of being written.