Published in Caledon Living, Summer 2006:
     As someone who has had a passion for books ever since I first began to read as a child, I wouldn’t be the editor of a magazine without trying to include a column of book reviews. I love books! New ones, old ones, used ones, borrowed ones. It shocks me, then, to learn that other publications may merely reprint the promotional blurbs prepared by publishers. I personally select and read each book that appears in this column. Many books don’t make my cut. My reviews are my own thoughts, framed by what I think will interest Caledon Living readers.
     This issue presents the new work of some local authors. They write about very different subjects, but share a passion for their own life experiences. We’ve also slipped in a review of an impressive decorating book.

French Country Living
By Caroline Clifton-Mogg
     A small volume with big punch, this reference of French country decorating has full-colour photographs of rooms on every single page. The first part of the book examines the various elements of colour, materials, fabrics and more, which make up this design style. The second part presents studies of such spaces as kitchens, living rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms and more.
     The chapter on outdoor rooms is particularly impressive, showing sitting and dining areas in lush rural settings with lovely views. There is plenty of inspiration here for ways to highlight the beauty of summers in Caledon.
Ryland, Peters & Small $39.95

Finding Lily
by Richard Clewes
     Former Caledon resident Richard Clewes has written a memoir of a tragic time in his life. His wife Erin, who owned a popular home décor store in Caledon yet suffered increasingly from manic depression, ended their marriage and then committed suicide.
     Richard spends the next three months travelling around the world, but wonders “How do you take a leave of absence from yourself?” He realizes that he’s on a quest of some kind, but doesn’t know what he’s seeking. An acquaintance on his travels reveals what he should be searching for, and immediately, he discovers that he has already found it. “Lily” may be the true love of his life, but is a complete surprise.
     Finding Lily contains recognizable descriptions of Belfountain and Forks of the Credit, and takes the reader to Saint Lucia, London, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand. Introducing each chapter is a charming sketch of a postcard drawn by Richard, and containing a meaningful quotation. Finding Lily shows the transformative power of the exploration of grief.
Key Porter Books $24.95

1,000 Hats
by Norma Shephard
     Actually, more than 1,200 hats are pictured in this colourful reference. There are caps and bonnets from the 1800s. Cloche hats worn by flappers in the 1920s. Stylish felts, straws and berets from the 1930s and ‘40s. Creations from the 1960s, when hats went into decline with the rise of feminism. There is even a wide-brimmed, raspberry straw hat with cabbage roses that is valued at $1,200.
     Burlington resident Norma Shephard is curator of the Mobile Millinery Museum, which consists of more than 2,500 hats. She takes parts of the collection to community groups to entertain, teach and help with fundraising.
     One of her favourite hats, she tells Caledon Living, is an Edwardian tennis hat with a crushed peach velvet crown. “I love it for its exquisite design and obvious beauty,” she notes, “but also because I can tell that it was much loved and much worn.” On the page opposite it, is a photo of Norma herself wearing a striking contemporary hat.
     “We stand poised on the cusp of a new age of millinery splendour with hat culture returning in a manner never seen before,” she predicts.
Schiffer Publishing $45.95

David Earle: A Choreographic Biography
by Michele Green
     Retired dancer Michele Green, who lives near Belfountain, has compiled a coffee-table book that records 130 works created by David Earle, a prominent modern dance choreographer who currently lives in Guelph. Each dance is described and supplemented by beautiful black-and-white performance photographs and excerpts of reviews, interviews and Earle’s own journals.
     “I felt it was crucial for someone to gather this incredible body of work in a format that was both informative and visually beautiful,” notes Michele in an interview with Caledon Living. The result is a fascinating and surprisingly readable collection that traces the achievements and troubles of an impressive creative talent.
Dance Collection Danse Press/es $52.95

By Gloria Hildebrandt