Dear Reader
Most of my childhood was spent in England, a place whose history is always visible in its old buildings, monuments, and museums. I loved visiting castles and other historic sites because they allowed me to imagine what it would have been like to live in them in the past. I could spend hours imagining myself to be the daughter of the lord of the manor being instructed in the fine arts of needlepoint and French conversation, or the scullery maid who laboured in the castle's kitchens from early morning until I tumbled exhausted into bed. So, when I first read some of the Dear Canada books, it was like being taken back to my childhood again, and being given the power to imagine myself into a life in a different time. Being asked to actually write a book for the series was heavenly as I looked forward to immersing myself in some creative day dreams.
Once I started it was not what I expected, but perhaps even more enjoyable than my childhood imaginings. Whereas I always used to be centre stage, now I had to create a believable character and, to put it simply, I fell in love with my character, Chin Me-ling. She had such dreams, faced such hardships and yet remained so loving and dutiful that she can make me cry like no other character I have ever created before. I also learned a tremendous amount about the history of the Chinese in Canada, something important to me as it helps me understand my husband's side of the family and also my son's historical heritage.
- Gillian Chan
