It was a book reading that evoked many emotions at the Yellowknife Public Library Saturday, as M茅tis author Bonita Nowell and her mother Angie Mercredi-Crerar shared heartfelt moments with their audience about Nowell鈥檚 book, My Mother鈥檚 Legacy.

The story, published last autumn, shares the early childhood experiences of Mercredi-Crerar, such as when she was taken away to residential school 鈥� a painful time in her life that she only shared with her daughter when Nowell decided to document her mother鈥檚 history in the pages of her book.

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 tell my kids about it because it was too horrible,鈥� said Mercredi-Crerar, who attended St. Joseph residential school in Fort Resolution. 鈥淎ll I learned from that is that my kids would never, ever feel the way I did.鈥�

She said after her children were born, loving them was the most important thing for her to do to counter the effects that residential school had on her life.

鈥淲hen I was left in that residential school, they wrecked me. I had nothing. Nowhere to go and there was no hope. There was nothing for me. We were all alone and nobody cared.

鈥淎nd as I was growing up, I was thinking, 鈥楳aybe someday, if I have kids, I will love them and fight for them forever,鈥欌�� she recalled.

Poignant journey

While writing the book, Nowell told the audience that she 鈥渇elt every emotion you could imagine鈥� and that its pages are filled with instances of hope, healing and reconciliation.

She said she feels very fortunate that she was able to document her mother鈥檚 life while she was still alive.

鈥淚 am grateful my mother is still here to share the story,鈥� Nowell said.

To complement the written book, and to honour her mother鈥檚 story further, Nowell said they just completed an audio-book version of the book 鈥� complete with her mother鈥檚 voice and that of several other narrators, including herself.

鈥淚 wanted my mom, my mom鈥檚 voice to be heard. And so I can pass that along to my siblings and their families. It鈥檚 a gift to my siblings and their families,鈥� Nowell said.

The audio recording should be ready for sale on platforms such as Amazon, Audible and Google Play by the end of February, she noted.

Nowell said it鈥檚 a good feeling knowing her mother鈥檚 story is documented for others to read and hear 鈥� now and for future generations.

鈥淚t鈥檚 the greatest service to others 鈥� be it my family having my mother鈥檚 voice forever; be it the story that may inspire others to reflect on their own family and appreciate their own family,鈥� she said.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been a privilege to share the story. These are hurts, but my mother is at peace today. She has peace of mind, she has peace in her heart. How did she get there? I鈥檓 sharing some of how she got there.鈥�

鈥擝y Jill Westerman